Reading Twilight
by Bella Katelyn
Summary: The Cullens, Bella, Denali's, Wolfpack, Renee & Phil, Charlie, Billy, Harry and Sue sit down to read The Twilight Saga. How will Charlie react when he realises Vampires and Werewolves really exist. Will Renee Understand. How will the pack react to the REAL reason why The Cullens may leave. (Originally Written By MagicAndDemons4Ever) Consent has been given to post this story.
1. Preface & First Sight

**Title:** Reading Twilight

**Author:** Bella Katelyn

**Rating:** M

**Summary:** The Cullens, Bella, Denali's, Wolfpack, Renee & Phil, Charlie, Billy, Harry and Sue sit down to read The Twilight Saga. How will Charlie react when he realises Vampires and Werewolves really exist. Will Renee Understand. How will the pack react to the REAL reason why The Cullens may leave. (Originally Written By MagicAndDemons4Ever) Consent has been given to write this as she is unable to continue.

**Disclaimer:** Twilight and its characters belong to author Stephanie Meyer, and is brought to the fandom by Summit Entertainment. I'm just borrowing the characters for my own enjoyment and hopefully yours. With that said I hope you enjoy this story as much as I'm going to enjoy writing it.

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**Chapter One**

**Preface & First Sight**

I sat in Edward's lap as we just to see the movie we wanted to see now (A classic Disney movie) as Alice stated

"We are reading a book and some unexpected guests will join us too!"

"Who is it?"

"The Denali's; wolves along with their elders and their parents; your parents."

I gasped that my parents would join as well as the wolves. The doorbell rang a few minutes later as Edward called for them to come in, my heart was pounding it my chest as I waited in anticipation for them to arrive.

"Bella, meet the Denali's, Carmen and Eleazar, and their daughters, Kate, Tanya and Irina, Irina's mate Laurent I'm sure we all remember him."

I looked at him and saw a pair of golden eyes, relaxing into Edward's embrace as the fear that he wouldn't have been able to change his diet. The fear of that fateful day was still fresh in my mind and although I hadn't told Edward, I was pretty sure he knew about the nightmares that I'd been having. James may have been destroyed but that didn't take away the memories, or the scar which had been left behind as a constant reminder of the hunter. Closing my eyes I buried my head into the crook of Edward's neck focusing on his scent, willing the memory to fade into the back of my mind once more.

"And Garrett, Kate's mate, he's also changed his diet to live in peace. He's still new to the vegetarian lifestyle, just like any of us, he'd do anything for his mate. Everyone I'd like to introduce you to my mate and girlfriend, Bella Swan."

I Instantly relaxed as they smiled, each one of them accepting me into their family. Never one to like attention, I found myself blushing at the attention. From my position on Edward's lap I groaned, the one thing I hated about feeling embarrassed was the tell-tale blush which seemed to appear straight away. Not only did I blush like a tomato but it meant just another reason for Emmett to poke fun at me. Pulling my head out of Edward's neck I looked back toward everyone again smiling shyly.

"Welcome to the family of Denali's, Bella. Are you a shield?!"

"No, I am a human and I'm not sure if I have a power."

Edward laughed, the door opening once again as the wolves, the parents and elders entered, this was definitely one of the most surreal experiences I'd ever had, especially considering how much I'd been hiding from my parents, as I looked at our newest guests I smiled seeing Rachel Black, the last time I saw her I was only 14 and back then I wasn't exactly thrilled to be in Forks, however by the time I arrived back in Phoenix I realised how much I missed her.

"Rach, you're back."

"Hi Bells, long-time no see?"

"Edward, meet my so called cousin, Rach, she's Jake's sister."

Once again, everyone was welcomed and settled in a circle around the coffee table in the living room, I could tell by the look on Edward's face that Alice was once again tormenting him in her thoughts, anything to keep him out. Whatever she had planned was big, Alice never kept Edward out of her thoughts unless she was trying to either a) surprise him or b) Something had been bought or sent that she was trying to keep to herself. Suddenly I found myself suspicious of her motives, although I couldn't stay upset with her for long, it was nice to see my Mom and Phil again, at least this time I wasn't covered in bruises and broken bones. Hopefully, Charlie would stop giving Edward a hard time over what happened in Phoenix, after all he had saved my life. Although part of me still wished he had let the venom spread.

"Mom, Phil, Dad!"

"Bells, it's good to see you on your feet again, I hope Edward has been pampering you."

"He's been wonderful, everyone has especially Alice. Dad loves Ali."

"That she is."

Suddenly Alice spoke, making all of us turn to face her, I didn't need Edward's vampire ability to know that everyone was thinking what she could have to tell us at the same time, the look on Edward's face said it all. Reaching behind me, I placed my hand underneath his shirt running my hand up his back, smiling as he relaxed instantly, I still found it amazing that I was able to make him relax with just one touch, yet thinking back he managed to do that very same thing with me. Of course he cheated and dazzled me into things. Pushing my thoughts to the back of my mind, I focused on what Alice was saying, knowing she would only repeat everything if I hadn't heard her.

"You all must wonder why I've invited you all here, but last night, I found five books in a bookstore in Seattle and by reading the back cover of the book, I'm sure you'll all be interested to hear what has been written. Especially you, Bella."

"Me? Why me?"

"You'll see."

_About three things I was absolutely positive. First Edward was a vampire. Second, there was a part of him – and I didn't know how dominant that part might be – that thirsted for my blood And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him._

_When Isabella Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen, her life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With his porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice and supernatural gifts, Edward is both irresistible and impenetrable. Up until now, he's managed to keep his true identity hidden, but Bella is determined to uncover his hidden secret. However what Bella doesn't realize is that the closer she gets to him, the more she is putting herself and those around her at risk. And it might be too late to turn back…._

The reactions were astonishingly high, as my Dad looked over at Edward and me, his face full of confusion and sadness, I could tell he wished I'd been able to tell him these things. I was still frightened that these books would mean bad things for my parents, I'd already made my choice to be a vampire, despite Edward's refusal. I knew deep down he wanted it too, he was just too scared to admit it, and that's exactly why I knew he had a soul, and it was beautiful and pure.

"Bella, when the hell did you find out this?!"

"That will be revealed as we get further into the book. But I warn you now, there will be no cussing or attacking anyone in this room. I mean it, that goes for the wolves also, if you even try and hurt _my _Edward when you hear about our first meeting , you'll see a very different side to me, I hope you'll understand why it happened. Mom, Dad, Phil since you some of the truth at least, what are your thoughts?"

"Well when I saw Edward at the hospital, I knew he was too good looking and those golden eyes, they're not exactly a known eye colour, but mainly I could see how much he loved you. How much you love him."

"I agree, Bella, even if we didn't see each other until now, I know you really love it here."

"Bella, are you ok into this world really?"

Taking a deep breath I nodded, this was the world I was born to be in. It might have taken me a while to convince Edward about this, once I'd revealed how I felt about him when he'd taken me to the meadow, as long as I had him, then there wasn't anything I couldn't live through. Turning to face my father I gazed into his concerned eyes, wishing I'd been able to share all this with him before now, but bound to keep the secret, feeling myself suddenly calmer I glanced at Jasper nodding slightly acknowledging my thanks for him helping me calm down with his ability. Swallowing slightly I faced my father once more preparing to tell him my feelings.

"Dad, like I said a few days ago Edward, letting him know why I stayed with him instead of going to Jacksonville with Mom, even with Mom being there who's closer to me than anyone (_she smiled and nodded her agreement grinning as everyone else looked confused and surprised_) is I always felt out of step in my life feeling like I stumbled through it, and when I found Edward, I could finally live and breathe on my own feeling loved and special for who I am; not what I should be for you or Dad. I love Edward from the bottom of my own heart and if he or I was forced to leave each other, it would cause us physical pain we can't be separated, I'm almost sure that if this ever happens, one of us would do something stupid, causing the other to come back. I'm Edward's mate, I'm also his singer; there is no one else for me. Edward is my life now, I never believed in love at first sight, but all that changed the minute I looked into Edward's eyes, I love him for who he is, I know I'm going to be with him forever."

Every single one of them, including some of the Cullens, looked at me, completely shocked by my revelation, I didn't know why, it's not like they hadn't felt the same way when they found out they had found their mate, just because I was human didn't make my feelings any less intense. I knew for sure I'd die without Edward.

"Should I read now?"

**Preface**

**I'd never given much thought to how I would die-though I'd had reason enough in the last few months-but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this. I stared without breathing across the long room, into the dark eyes of the hunter, and he looked pleasantly back at me. Surely it was a good way to die, in the place of someone else, someone I loved. Noble, even. That ought to count for something. I knew that if I'd never gone to Forks, I wouldn't be facing death now. But terrified as I was, I couldn't bring myself to regret the decision. When life offers you a dream so far beyond any of you expectations, it's not reasonable to grieve when it comes to an end. The hunter smiled in a friendly way as he sauntered forward to kill me.**

"What does it mean, Bella, who is this hunter and why is he trying to kill you?"

My mom asked, looking shaken as she clung to Phil, biting on my lip I sighed hating that I couldn't give her anymore information. I knew they'd take it better if they read about it rather than me telling them, especially considering the true nature of my most recent injuries, the last thing I wanted was for them to get angry at Edward and start blaming him, he may not say it but I knew he still blamed himself for what happened. I didn't want anyone making him feel worse than he already did. By the end of these books I hoped he would be convinced that he wasn't the monster he thought he was.

"It will all be revealed further on in the book, who he is and why!"

"Is this what happened in Phoenix?"

"Mm hm."

**First Sight**

**My mother drove me to the airport with the windows rolled down. It was seventy-five degrees in Phoenix, the sky a perfect, cloudless blue.**

"Wow, sound great."

Emily, Seth and Leah all stated at once. I couldn't help but laugh at their enthusiasm, I could tell we were going to have a lot of interruptions throughout these books, hopefully tempers wouldn't get too heated, the last thing I wanted was for one of the wolves to phase and end up hurting my fragile parents.

**"I was wearing my favourite shirt — sleeveless, white eyelet lace; I was wearing as a farewell gesture. My carry on item was a parka.**

"What?" Alice squeaked, looking like Jasper had just taken away her prized wardrobe. Rolling my eyes I tried not to be too harsh on her, after all the only, this was Alice we were talking about, she could give Edward a run for his money on the over reacting scale at times.

"Parka, Bella, really?"

"Just read Alice, we can talk about it later I promise."

**In the Olympic Peninsula of northwest Washington State, a small town named Forks exists under a near constant cover of clouds. It rains of this inconsequential town more than any other place in the United States of America. It was from this town and its gloomy, omnipresent shade that my mother escaped with me when I was only a few months old. It was in this town that I'd been compelled to spend a month every summer until I was fourteen. That was the year I finally put my foot down; these past three summers, my dad, Charlie, vacationed with me in California for two weeks instead.**

"Oh Bells, that was the greatest change for me, and I love it too!" my dad reassured me. He always seemed to know the right words to make me feel better, that was definitely one thing that he and Edward had in common, although I'm sure both men would deny it. Nuzzling into Edward's shoulder, I relaxed into his arms again, smiling as Alice continued to read once again.

**"It was to Forks that I now exiled myself— an action that I took with great horror. I detested Forks.**"

"Not anymore Dad."

Edward held me closer as I looked over at Charlie, he did seem to relax more at my words, I knew deep down he was upset when I stopped coming to Forks, if I knew then what I knew now I wouldn't have believed it, but sitting here with my family, friends, cousins and Edward, everything that had happened over my life seemed to slot into place. They say everything happens for a reason, and I was definitely meant to move to Forks, I'd finally found myself again. I felt complete. I was home.

**I loved Phoenix. I loved the sun and the blistering heat. I loved the vigorous, sprawling city.**

"**Bella," my mom said to me – the last of a thousand times – before I got on the plane. "You don't have to do this."**

**My mom looks like me, except with short hair and laugh lines. I felt a spasm of panic as I stared at her wife, childlike eyes. How could I leave my loving, erratic, hair brained mother to fend for herself? Of course she had Phil now, so the bills would probably get paid, there would be food in the refrigerator, gas in her car, and someone to call when she got lost, but still…**

"Oh Bella, is it that really so?"

"Mom, since I was 12, did that for you, but I don't regret it, I loved it; it gave me the ability to be selfless and grow up to be who I am today."

My mom, Dad, Phil and Esme smiled lovingly at me, I'd often wondered what it would be like to have my mother and vampire mother meet, now they had I could see we would be one big happy family, however despite this knowledge I still feared how they would react when they finally found out the truth about my new family being vampires, not only that but I didn't want to lose them, that alone had been my biggest fear from the start. Taking a deep breath I felt Edward's thumb rubbing soothing circles on my palm, managing to calm down my erratic emotions.

"**I **_**want **_**to go," I lied. I'd always been a bad liar, but I'd been saying this lie so frequently lately that it sounded almost convincing now.**

"**Tell Charlie I said hi."**

"**I will." **

"**I'll see you soon," she insisted. "You can come home whenever you want – I'll come right back as soon as you need me."**

**But I could see the sacrifice in her promise.**

"So selfless, love!"

I looked up gazing into Edward's eyes smiling as I noticed his golden eyes soften, extending my body I smiled against his skin as I kissed his jaw, much to everyone else's surprise. Dad looked uncomfortable as he watched the public display of affection, something which we rarely showed in front of him, I was suddenly curious as to what he was thinking, I'd have to ask Edward later, for now I was just comforted by the fact he seemed to be warming toward Edward, I had to thank Alice for that, she had taken to telling Charlie Edward's good points at every given opportunity.

"**Don't worry about me," I urged. "It'll be great. I love you Mom."**

**She hugged me tightly for a minute, and then I got on the plane, and she was gone. It's a four hour flight from Phoenix to Seattle, another hour in a small plane up to Port Angeles, and then an hour drive back down to Forks. Flying doesn't bother me; the hour in the car with Charlie, though I was a little worried about.**

"Why is that so?" Eleazar quizzed me, His thirst for knowledge could rival Carlisle. I could see why they had become such good friends to each other throughout the last 300 years. I wasn't sure how much I'd say if I told him myself, once again I knew it would be better to leave it up to Alice to read it aloud instead of accidentally revealing something I shouldn't. Smiling brightly I rested my head against Edward's chest again, looking at the Denali's.

"All will be explained soon."

**Charlie had been nice about the whole thing. He seemed genuinely pleased that I was coming to live with him for the first time with any degree of permanence. He's already gotten me registered for high school and was going to help me get a car. **

"Oh okay."

**But it was sure to be awkward with Charlie. Neither of us was what anyone would call verbose, and I didn't know what there was to say regardless. I knew he was more than a little confused by my decision – like my mother before me, I hadn't made any secret of my distaste for Forks. When I landed in Port Angeles, it was raining. I didn't see it as an omen – just unavoidable. I'd already said goodbye to the sun. Charlie was waiting for me with the cruiser. This I was expecting too. Charlie is Police Chief Swan to the good people of Forks. My primary motivation behind buying a car, despite the scarcity of my funds, was that I refused to be driven around town in a car with red blue lights on top. Nothing slows down traffic like a cop. Charlie gave me an awkward, one armed hug when I stumbled my way off the plane.**

"**It's good to see you Bells," he said smiling as he automatically caught and steadied me.**

"Already stumbling, Bella?" Emmett shouted making me jump from my place on Edward's lap, of course calling me on my clumsiness had me blushing beet red. I was going to kill Emmett when these books were through, I didn't know how yet, but I was determined to get him back for showing me up.

"Shut it, Emmett!" He only laughed but quickly shut up as Rosalie smacked him over the head.

"Ow Rosie what was that for?"

"Be quiet."

"**You haven't changed much. How's Renee?**

"**Mom's fine. It's good to see you, too, Dad." I wasn't allowed to call him Charlie to his face. I had only a few bags. **

"Isabella, we're so going shopping after reading this!"

I cringed at full name being used, as much as I hated it and much preferred being called Bella, my mother and Charlie still managed to ignore my wishes and call me by my full name, I cringed again remembering my first day at Forks High, everyone instantly calling me "Isabella" I couldn't help the smile which had formed on my face as I remember Edward correcting Mr Banner after he had called me by my full name. It appeared Alice had decided to continue calling me Isabella if she disapproved on something. I figured that no matter how much I said no, in the end she'd win. However Renee still tried to put her off taking me shopping.

"Don't, Alice, she loathes to shop. I learned the hard way..."

"How!"

"She's extremely independent and likes to dress for comfort rather than fashion. She hates to be poked and prodded and she refuse to wear any pink unless it's lingerie."

"MOM!"

"She'll only wear dresses if it is her wedding dress or some sort of party event I learned this when we went shopping at her age 13 when she started showing an interest in buying her own clothes, of course I always wanted her to wear dresses."

I couldn't stop the laugh which had been bubbling up inside me since Renee started her story, Alice was going to get a very big shock when she found out what I'd done I couldn't wait to see her reaction.

"So what did she do?" Alice asked innocently, although the curiosity on her face gave her away instantly.

"If she broke any of my rules, I would burn her clothes and give the clothes she bought me, and use the old ones as a point to buy new ones. Now let's read please."

Edward kissed my cheek, as Alice looked horrified at what I was capable of, just like every other vampire, wold and human in the room. Jasper reached across, taking the book from Alice's hands as he started to read. Burying my head in Edward's chest I tried to hide my giggles, I never thought I'd see the day anyone was able to stun Alice into silence, I was definitely going to enjoy it while I could, I knew it wouldn't last very long.

**Most of my Arizona clothes were too permeable for Washington. My mom and I had pooled our resources to supplement my winter wardrobe, but it was still scanty. It all fit easily into the trunk of the cruiser. **

"**I found a good car for you, really cheap," he announced when we were strapped in. **

"**What kind of car?" I was suspicious of the way he said "good car for **_**you" **_**as opposed to just "good car."**

"Perspective, Bella," my dad suddenly said, taking me by surprise, neither Charlie nor me were good at showing each other how we felt, I guess I got that from him, but the few times he did express his concern it always warmed my heart, I had to fight to keep the tears at bay, I wanted to tell him how much I loved him, how much I'd missed him all those years when I'd been apart from him, but there was this switch inside me which found it hard to express my feelings, over time I realised that it must have something to do with my parents' divorce. Turning my head slightly, I grinned noticing Edward was furiously nodding his head in agreement with Charlie.

"Why did you agree?" he asked, clearly confused.

"You'll see."

"Alright."

"**Well it's a truck actually, a Chevy."**

"**Where did you find it?" **

"**Do you remember Billy Black down at LaPush?" LaPush is the tiny Indian reservation on the coast.**

"**No." **

"**He used to go fishing with us during the summer," Charlie prompted. **

**That would explain why I didn't remember him. I do a good job at blocking painful, unnecessary things from my memory. **

I cringed, as Edward held my hand tightly, I felt so guilty for the way I felt when I'd first arrived here, what's more I hated that Charlie had to hear them, the last thing I wanted to do was upset my father, I'd missed out on so much time with him over the years I didn't want to spend the next few years going through the past, my view on Forks had dramatically changed since then along with my view on the weather, Edward had changed my perspective in so many ways, teaching me to enjoy life to the fullest. Not only did my father have to hear my thoughts from that time in my life, I was still feeling guilty for everything I had said to him when I'd ran away to Phoenix. I knew repeating the words Renee had told him stung, although he'd never show it. Looking into Edward's eyes I reached up again kissing the side of his lips gently letting out a contented sigh.

"**He's in a wheelchair now," Charlie continued when I didn't respond, "so he can't drive anymore, and he offered to sell me his truck cheap." **

"**What year is it?" I could see from his change in expression that this was the question he was hoping I wouldn't ask.**

"**Well Billy's done a lot of work on the engine – it's only a few years old, really." **

**I hoped he didn't think so little of me as to believe he would give up that easily. "When did he buy it?"**

"I really did, Bells, but you're stubborn, just like Edward here."

"**When did he buy it?"**

"**He bought it in 1984, I think."**

"**Did he buy it new?"**

"**Well, no, I think it was new in the early sixties – or late fifties at the earliest," he admitted sheepishly.**

"**Ch – Dad, I don't really know anything about cars, I wouldn't be able to fix it if anything went wrong, and I couldn't afford a mechanic…"**

"**Really, Bella, the thing runs great. They don't build them like that anymore."**

_**The thing, **_**I thought to myself…it had possibilities – as a nickname, at the very least. **

"You're right there, even if it is an ugly car."

"Rosalie , don't hate my truck. It was built by Jake and it was a present from my Dad and Billy. Thank you, Billy, Jake for everything you did to it. I love it really." Jake and Billy smiled as I noticed Rosalie was sitting fuming in silence. I'd pay for that later, part of me hoped that these books would change Rosalie's opinion of me. Make her see how much I truly did love her brother.

"**How cheap is cheap?" After all, that was the part I couldn't compromise on. **

"**Well, honey, I kind of already bought it for you. As a homecoming gift," Charlie peeked sideways at me with a hopeful expression. **

**Wow. Free.**

"**You didn't need to do that, Dad. I was going to buy myself a car."**

"**I don't mind. I want you to be happy here." He was looking ahead at the road when he said this. Charlie wasn't comfortable with expressing his emotions out loud. I inherited that from him. So I was looking straight ahead as I responded. **

"**That's really nice, Dad. Thanks, I really appreciate it." No need to add that my being happy in Forks is an impossibility. He didn't need to suffer along with me. **

"Bella, were you really that sad to be here?" my dad asked, I hated how sad he sounded. I didn't want him to be sad. Because now that wasn't how I felt. I've never been as happy as I am now. I needed him to realise this. I only hoped the books revealed my true thoughts to him.

"Like I said, I felt out of step here, until I met Edward, he is the sun and light in my life."

"As long as you're happy."

"I am."

Dad smiled so brightly, I noticed Renee and Phil had matching smiles, none of them had ever seen me this happy before. I could tell that seeing me with Edward and his family brought them peace of mind. I'd have to ask Edward to make sure, but I was almost certain that they had all started to accept that I was growing up and they couldn't decide for me.

**And I never looked a free truck in the mouth – or engine. **

"**Well, now, you're welcome," he mumbled, embarrassed by my thanks.**

**We exchanged a few more comments on the weather, which was wet, and that was pretty much it for conversation. We stared out the windows in silence. It was really beautiful, of course; I couldn't deny that. Everything was green, the trees, their trunks covered with moss, their branches hanging with a canopy of it, the ground covered with ferns. Even the air filtered down greenly through the leaves. It was green – an alien planet. Eventually we made it to Charlie's. He still lived in the small, two bedroomed house that he'd bought with my mother in the early days of their marriage. Those were the only kind of days their marriage had – the early ones. There, parked on the street in front of the house that never changed, was my new – well, new to me – truck. It was a faded red colour, with big rounded fenders and a bulbous cab.**

"Yay my truck and it really is beautiful enough for me. I don't need a fancy, speedy car at the moment, this one is enough." Jake smiled at me, as did Billy, who knows maybe these books would not only bring Charlie and Edward closer but somehow change Billy's mind on how he viewed my family. Only time would tell.

**To my intense surprise, I loved it. I didn't know if it would run, but I could see myself in it. Plus, it was one of those solid iron affairs that never gets damaged – the kind you see at the scene of an accident, paint unscratched, surrounded by the pieces of the foreign car it had destroyed.**

"**Wow, Dad, I love it! Thanks!" Now my horrific day tomorrow would be just as much less dreadful. I wouldn't be faced with the choice of either walking two miles in the rain to school or accepting a ride in the Chief's cruiser.**

"It did run and radio works, something I was shocked at. I was right about it being good in a collision."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll see Dad. Hopefully you'll trust Edward more after you find out."

"Keep hoping babygirl."

Everyone laughed, despite most of the laugher coming from my family was forced, they knew just how much truth was behind my words, if it hadn't been for Edward I wouldn't be sitting here, I shuddered slightly at the thought. As I did, Edward's arms ran up my back, instantly soothing me.

"**I'm glad you like it," Charlie said gruffly, embarrassed again.**

**It took only one trip to get all my stuff upstairs. I got the west bedroom that faced out over the front yard. The room was familiar; it had belonged to me since I was born. The wooden floor, the light blue walls, the peaked ceiling, the yellowed lace curtains around the window — these were all a part of my childhood. The only changes Charlie had ever made were switching the crib for a bed and adding a desk as I grew. The desk now held a second-hand computer, with the phone line for the modem stapled along the floor to the nearest phone jack. This was a stipulation from my mother, so that we could stay in touch easily. The rocking chair from my baby days was still in the corner. There was only one small bathroom at the top of the stairs, which I would have to share with Charlie. I was trying not to dwell too much on that fact.**

**One of the best things about Charlie is he doesn't hover.**

**He left me alone to unpack and get settled, a feat that would have been altogether impossible for my mother. It was nice to be alone, not to have to smile and look pleased; a relief to stare dejectedly out the window at the sheeting rain and let just a few tears escape.**

"Sorry Mom, Dad."

My parents stood up from their place around the coffee table, hugging me awkwardly from my position on Edward's lap. I could feel their smile on either side of my cheeks. Taking a deep breath, I tried to keep my composure, I think this was the first time either of them were finally hearing how I felt. I didn't like upsetting people especially my parents, they'd worked incredibly hard to give me things growing up, and I didn't want them to think that it was their fault because that thought had never once crossed my mind.

**I wasn't in the mood to go on a real crying jag. I would save that for bedtime, when I would have to think about the coming morning.**

**Forks High School had a frightening total of only three hundred and fifty-seven — now fifty-eight — students; there were more than seven hundred people in my junior class alone back home. All of the kids here had grown up together — their grandparents had been toddlers together. **

**I would be the new girl from the big city, a curiosity, a freak.**

"Is that how you felt back then, baby?" my mom and Esme said at the exact same moment. It was scary how similar my mother and vampire mother were. Although at the same time that was what made everything more comforting, Esme could give me what Renee couldn't. She took care of me, whereas Renee was more my friend. I guessed if you looked at it from the outside I had the best of both worlds.

"Yes, one thing I hate also, attention and overly friendly boys who thinks they own me! Mom, you remember how the boys were in my old school."

She sighed, as she took Phil's hand, who squeezed it back gently, the minute Edward took a breath I knew exactly what he was going to say. I wasn't sure whether I wanted him to know what they were like. It was bad enough he had to deal with the thoughts of the immature boys in Forks High without adding to it. I knew the minute I told him what happened, he would want to kill someone, anyone.

"How were they?"

"The reason why I look down on myself and still do in your company, is for the boys and girls teased me so badly, that I wanted to kill myself. I almost succeeded, if Phil hadn't found me."

Everyone gasped, as I felt Edward's fingers underneath my chin lifting my bowed head to look into his smouldering golden eyes, I was desperately trying to hold the unshed tears at bay. My heart clenched at the look on his face. It was full of love and compassion, it took my breath away.

"But you're beautiful to me I love you Bella Swan."

"I love you too Edward Cullen." Leaning up I kissed his lips passionately, completely forgetting that our family and friends were surrounding us, that was until I heard Emmett clear his throat.

**Maybe, if I looked like a girl from Phoenix should, I could work this to my advantage. But physically, I'd never fit in anywhere. I should be tan, sporty, blond — a volleyball player, or a cheerleader, perhaps — all the things that go with living in the valley of the sun. Instead, I was ivory-skinned, without even the excuse of blue eyes or red hair, despite the constant sunshine. I had always been slender, but soft somehow, obviously not an athlete; I didn't have the necessary hand-eye coordination to play sports without humiliating myself — and harming both myself and anyone else who stood too close.**

"Oh, Bella!"

"I know, I am trying to see my so called beauty too."

**When I finished putting my clothes in the old pine dresser, I took my bag of bathroom necessities and went to the communal bathroom to clean myself up after the day of travel. I looked at my face in the mirror as I brushed through my tangled, damp hair. Maybe it was the light, but already I looked sallower, unhealthy. My skin could be pretty — it was very clear, almost translucent-looking —but it all depended on colour. I had no colour here.**

**Facing my pallid reflection in the mirror, I was forced to admit that I was lying to myself. It wasn't just physically that I'd never fit in. And if I couldn't find a niche in a school with three thousand people, what were my chances here? ****I didn't relate well to people my age. Maybe the truth was that I didn't relate well to people, period.**

"So true, I fit with you instead."

**Even my mother, who I was closer to than anyone else on the planet, was never in harmony with me, never on the exact same page. Sometimes I wondered if I was seeing the same things through my eyes that the rest of the world was seeing through theirs. Maybe there was a glitch in my brain.**

Emmett laughed as Jasper continued reading, no doubt feeling the emotions shooting through the room, I for one could do without Emmett's jokes right now, having everyone hear my inner thoughts was hard enough without him making fun of me.

**But the cause didn't matter. All that mattered was the effect. And tomorrow would be just the beginning.**

**I didn't sleep well that night, even after I was done crying. The constant whooshing of the rain and wind across the roof wouldn't fade into the background. I pulled the faded old quilt over my head, and later added the pillow, too. But I couldn't fall asleep until after midnight, when the rain finally settled into a quieter drizzle.**

**Thick fog was all I could see out my window in the morning, and I could feel the claustrophobia creeping up on me. You could never see the sky here; it was like a cage.**

**Breakfast with Charlie was a quiet event. He wished me good luck at school. I thanked him, knowing his hope was wasted. Good luck tended to avoid me. Charlie left first, off to the police station that was his wife and family. After he left, I sat at the old square oak table in one of the three un-matching chairs and examined his small kitchen, with its dark panelled walls, bright yellow cabinets, and white linoleum floor. Nothing was changed.**

"Oh, Charlie, maybe we should together remodel it for you."

"I will help too!" my mom shrieked excitedly. I swear she could rival Alice in the excitement department sometimes, god forbid what they would be like once they took me shopping together. If I let that happen that is. I'd have to wait until the books were completed before I decided whether or not she deserved to play Bella Barbie.

**My mother had painted the cabinets eighteen years ago in an attempt to bring some sunshine into the house. Over the small fireplace in the adjoining handkerchief-sized family room was a row of pictures. First a wedding picture of Charlie and my mom in Las Vegas, then one of the three of us in the hospital after I was born, taken by a helpful nurse, followed by the procession of my school pictures up to last year's. Those were embarrassing to look at — I would have to see what I could do to get Charlie to put them somewhere else, at least while I was living here.**

"Bella!"

"Sorry, but the photos are embarrassing, Daddy. And I really love the photo of you and mom in Las Vegas on the wedding day. I took it down to make a surprise for your birthday."

"Can't wait, Bells!"

**It was impossible, being in this house, not to realize that Charlie had never gotten over my mom. It made me uncomfortable.**

**I didn't want to be too early to school, but I couldn't stay in the house anymore. I donned my jacket — which had the feel of a biohazard suit and headed out into the rain.**

**It was just drizzling still, not enough to soak me through immediately as I reached for the house key that was always hidden under the eave by the door, and locked up. The sloshing of my new waterproof boots was unnerving. I missed the normal crunch of gravel as I walked. I couldn't pause and admire my truck again as I wanted;**

**I was in a hurry to get out of the misty wet that swirled around my head and clung to my hair under my hood.**

**Inside the truck, it was nice and dry. Either Billy or Charlie had obviously cleaned it up, but the tan upholstered seats still smelled faintly of tobacco, gasoline, and peppermint.**

**The engine started quickly, to my relief, but loudly, roaring to life and then idling at top volume. Well, a truck this old was bound to have a flaw. The antique radio worked, a plus that I hadn't expected.**

Everyone burst out laughing as my earlier statement was read out.

**Finding the school wasn't difficult, though I'd never been there before. The school was, like most other things, just off the highway. It was not obvious that it was a school; only the sign, which declared it to be the Forks High School, made me stop. It looked like a collection of matching houses, built with maroon-coloured bricks. There were so many trees and shrubs I couldn't see its size at first. Where was the feel of the institution? I wondered nostalgically. Where were the chain-link fences, the metal detectors?**

"They had that in my old school. Safety most of the students took their knives and weapon to school because of their gang-rules." I shuddered, as I remember the day, 10 peoples had been killed inside of that school, for gang-related issues. So did mom and Phil.

"What is it?" my dad asked looking completely confused, as did most of the room. I sighed and told them all of it. To say they were in shock at how much bad luck I had been in before I came to Forks and how I could stop and never think about all of it.

**I parked in front of the first building, which had a small sign over the door reading front office. No one else was parked there, so I was sure it was off limits, but I decided I would get directions inside instead of circling around in the rain like an idiot. I stepped unwillingly out of the toasty truck cab and walked down a little stone path lined with dark hedges. I took a deep breath before opening the door.**

**Inside, it was brightly lit, and warmer than I'd hoped. The office was small; a little waiting area with padded folding chairs, orange-flecked commercial carpet, notices and awards cluttering the walls, a big clock ticking loudly. Plants grew everywhere in large plastic pots, as if there wasn't enough greenery outside. The room was cut in half by a long counter, cluttered with wire baskets full of papers and brightly coloured flyers taped to its front. There were three desks behind the counter, one of which was manned by a large, red-haired woman wearing glasses. She was wearing a purple t-shirt, which immediately made me feel overdressed.**

**The red-haired woman looked up. "Can I help you?"**

"Still got a crush on you, huh Eddie?"

Yes, but she is too old be like my mother or worse, my grandmother." Edward stated pinching the bridge of his nose. Running my hand down his thigh I tried desperately to soothe him. I knew first hand just how flirty Mrs Cope could be with him and even I found it disturbing, I hated to think what she was actually thinking. My poor vampire.

**"I'm Isabella Swan," I informed her, and saw the immediate awareness light her eyes. I was expected, a topic of gossip no doubt. Daughter of the Chief's flighty ex-wife, come home at last.**

"Oops sorry Mom." Thankfully my mother laughed, knowing just how flighty she could be. I'd lost count of the amount of hobbies she'd worked her way through over the years only to get bored halfway through and move on to the next hobby.

**"Of course," she said. She dug through a precariously stacked pile of documents on her desk till she found the ones she was looking for. "I have your schedule right here, and a map of the school." She brought several sheets to the counter to show roe.**

**She went through my classes for me, highlighting the best route to each on the map, and gave me a slip to have each teacher sign, which I was to bring back at the end of the day. She smiled at me and hoped, like Charlie, that I would like it here in Forks. I smiled back as convincingly as I could.**

**When I went back out to my truck, other students were starting to arrive. I drove around the school, following the line of traffic. I was glad to see that most of the cars were older like mine, nothing flashy. At home I'd lived in one of the few lower-income neighbourhoods that were included in the Paradise Valley District. It was a common thing to see a new Mercedes or Porsche in the student lot.**

**The nicest car here was a shiny Volvo, and it stood out.**

"Edward's little baby!" I giggled, as Edward laughed at how happy I was. I knew that was all he wanted. My happiness meant more to him than his own. I'd spend the rest of eternity making him happy if he'd have me.

"Really Emmett?" He had all of us laughing now.

**Still, I cut the engine as soon as I was in a spot, so that the thunderous volume wouldn't draw attention to me.**

**I looked at the map in the truck, trying to memorize it now; hopefully I wouldn't have to walk around with it stuck in front of my nose all day. I stuffed everything in my bag, slung the strap over my shoulder, and sucked in a huge breath. I can do this, I lied to myself feebly. **

**No one was going to bite me.**

"We try not to!" Carlisle suddenly said, which shocked me at first, but that didn't last long, I couldn't help but smile back at him. It seemed it wasn't just Emmett who liked to lessen the tension in the room. I could already feel Edward become tense underneath me. I just hoped I was strong enough to comfort him.

**I finally exhaled and stepped out of the truck.**

**I kept my face pulled back into my hood as I walked to the sidewalk, crowded with teenagers. My plain black jacket didn't stand out, I noticed with relief.**

**Once I got around the cafeteria, building three was easy to spot. A large black "3" was painted on a white square on the east corner. **

**I felt my breathing gradually creeping toward hyperventilation as I approached the door. I tried holding my breath as I followed two unisex raincoats through the door.**

**The classroom was small. The people in front of me stopped just inside the door to hang up their coats on a long row of hooks. I copied them. They were two girls, one a porcelain-coloured blonde, the other also pale, with light brown hair. At least my skin wouldn't be a standout here.**

"Urgh, the horror. All stares and pointing. Argh!" my mom hugged me, understanding exactly where I was coming from. Alice on the other hand still looked pissed off at me.

**I took the slip up to the teacher, a tall, balding man whose desk had a nameplate identifying him as Mr Mason. He gawked at me when he saw my name — not an encouraging response — and of course I flushed tomato red. But at least he sent me to an empty desk at the back without introducing me to the class. It was harder for my new classmates to stare at me in the back, but somehow, they managed. **

**I kept my eyes down on the reading list the teacher had given me. It was fairly basic: Bronte, Shakespeare, Chaucer, and Faulkner. I'd already read everything. That was comforting… and boring. I wondered if my mom would send me my folder of old essays, or if she would think that was cheating.**

"Hope you didn't, Bells!"

Shaking my head, I buried my head back into Edward's chest, inhaling his sweet aroma, managing to calm myself down, finding Edward's scent did just that, so far Charlie was reacting well to my thoughts, I could only hope that he'd be just as calm when it came down to hearing everything James had put me through, although something told me this was just wishful thinking, after all I knew if this happened to our child, should Edward and I be blessed with one, Edward would feel the same way. Closing my eyes I took a deep breath, preparing myself for what would be coming soon, kissing Edward's neck I hoped this would be enough to distract him from hearing what everyone would be thinking.

**I went through different arguments with her in my head while the teacher droned on. When the bell rang, a nasal buzzing sound, a gangly boy with skin problems and hair black as an oil slick leaned across the aisle to talk to me.**

"Eric Yorkie, just one of the many boys who still think they have a chance with me, despite the fact that I've made no secret of the fact Edward is the love of my life." Glancing up at my father I moved even closer into Edward as his eyes were murderous, lord forbid how he would react to the things Tyler Crowley tried.

"He'll rethink that after Tyler Crowley's idiotic move."

"Did you threaten him after that phone-call?"

"Yep, nearly peed himself."

**"You're Isabella Swan, aren't you?" He looked like the overly helpful, chess club type.**

**"Bella," I corrected. Everyone within a three-seat radius turned to look at me.**

**"Where's your next class?" he asked.**

**I had to check in my bag. "Um, Government, with Jefferson, in building six."**

**There was nowhere to look without meeting curious eyes.**

**"I'm headed toward building four, I could show you the way…" Definitely over-helpful. **

**"I'm Eric," he added.**

"Oh, Bells. You just wait for my revenge."

"DAD!" CHARLIE!" I yelled at the same time Renee did.

**I smiled tentatively. "Thanks."**

**We got our jackets and headed out into the rain, which had picked up. I could have sworn several people behind us were walking close enough to eavesdrop. I hoped I wasn't getting paranoid.**

**"So, this is a lot different than Phoenix, huh?" he asked.**

**"Very."**

**"It doesn't rain much there, does it?"**

**"Three or four times a year."**

**"Wow, what must that be like?" he wondered.**

**"Sunny," I told him.**

"Bella." My mom laugh, you couldn't help but join in, after all they do say laughter is infectious.

**"You don't look very tan."**

**"My mother is part albino."**

**He studied my face apprehensively, and I sighed. It looked like clouds and a sense of humour didn't mix.**

Groaning I buried my head back into Edward's chest as everyone started laughing, including Edward, I almost wished I had the vampire strength so I was able to smack him, it was bad enough that my thoughts were being read out for everyone to hear, it was bad enough _Emmett _would have enough material to tease me for the next 4 years. But to have Edward laugh at me, it stung. Just as the thought passed through my mind I felt Edward flinch underneath me.

"Ow, Rose what was that for?"

"For laughing at Bella, if she'd have done it, she'd have hurt herself."

"I'm sorry, love."

"You're forgiven."

"Whipped."

"And you're not Emmett."

"That's not fair, this is about you."

"Deal with it big brother."

**A few months of this and I'd forget how to use sarcasm. We walked back around the cafeteria, to the south buildings by the gym. Eric walked me right to the door, though it was clearly marked.**

**"Well, good luck," he said as I touched the handle. "Maybe we'll have some other classes together." He sounded hopeful.**

**I smiled at him vaguely and went inside.**

**The rest of the morning passed in about the same fashion. My Trigonometry teacher, Mr Varner, who I would have hated, anyway just because of the subject he taught, was the only one who made me stand in front of the class and introduce myself.**

"Urgh!"

**I stammered, blushed, and tripped over my own boots on the way to my seat. After two classes, I started to recognize several of the faces in each class. There was always someone braver than the others who would introduce themselves and ask me questions about how I was beginning to like Forks. I tried to be diplomatic, but mostly I just lied a lot. **

**At least I never needed the map. One girl sat next to me in both Trig and Spanish, and she walked with me to the cafeteria for lunch. She was tiny, several inches shorter than my five feet four inches, but her wildly curly dark hair made up a lot of the difference between our heights. I couldn't remember her name, so I smiled and nodded as she prattled about teachers and classes. I didn't try to keep up.**

"Jessica, a girl who loves gossip and spread rumours about you with Lauren Mallory. Urgh!" my mom took hold of the hand that wasn't clutching onto Edward as she squeezed it gently. It felt strange; being comforted by my mother, after comforting her for as long as I could remember, at the same time it felt wonderful.

**We sat at the end of a full table with several of her friends, who she introduced to me. I forgot all their names as soon as she spoke them. They seemed impressed by her bravery in speaking to me. The boy from English, Eric, waved at me from across the room.**

**It was there, sitting in the lunchroom, trying to make conversation with seven curious strangers, that I first saw them.**

"Who is it?"

"The Cullens, now remember what I said before we started reading, don't freak out."

Everyone looked completely confused at my statement, however I once again felt Edward stiffen underneath me as he buried his head in my hair, reaching behind him again I slid my hand up his shirt rubbing his back gently, knowing how difficult this would be to hear, it was hard enough for him when it was actually happening, I wished I could take away the hurt he still felt.

**They were sitting in the corner of the cafeteria, as far away from where I sat as possible in the long room. There were five of them. They weren't talking, and they weren't eating, though they each had a tray of untouched food in front of them. They weren't gawking at me, unlike most of the other students, so it was safe to stare at them without fear of meeting an excessively interested pair of eyes. But it was none of these things that caught, and held, my attention.**

"Wow you are really perceptive, Bella. There really wasn't any way you weren't going to find out what we are."

**They didn't look anything alike. Of the three boys, one was big — muscled like a serious weight lifter, with dark, curly hair.**

"Emmett!"

**Another was taller, leaner, but still muscular, and honey blond.**

"Jasper!"

**The last was lanky, less bulky, with untidy, bronze-coloured hair. He was more boyish than the others, who looked like they could be in college, or even teachers here rather than students.**

"Edward; and that's because you were younger when you were changed, my love!" He smiled brightly and kissed my cheek and forehead.

**The girls were opposites. The tall one was statuesque. She had a beautiful figure, the kind you saw on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, the kind that made every girl around her take a hit on her self-esteem just by being in the same room. Her hair was golden, gently waving to the middle of her back.**

"Aw, thanks, Bella. You're also a beautiful girl." Rose smiled at me as she said the same thing Edward had been telling me for the past few months, I couldn't help but smile, this could be the first steps to us _finally _having the sisterly relationship I desperately wanted with her.

**The short girl was pixie like, thin in the extreme, with small features. Her hair was a deep black, cropped short and pointing in every direction.**

Alice grumbled. My Mom and Dad looked disappointed and angry at her behaviour, so did Carlisle and Esme.

**And yet, they were all exactly alike. Every one of them was chalky pale, the palest of all the students living in this sunless town. Paler than me, the albino. They all had very dark eyes despite the range in hair tones. They also had dark shadows under those eyes — purplish, bruise like shadows. As if they were all suffering from a sleepless night, or almost done recovering from a broken nose. Though their noses, all their features, were straight, perfect, and angular.**

**But all this is not why I couldn't look away. I stared because their faces, so different, so similar, were all devastatingly, inhumanly beautiful. They were faces you never expected to see except perhaps on the airbrushed pages of a fashion magazine. Or painted by an old master as the face of an angel. It was hard to decide who was the most beautiful — maybe the perfect blond girl, or the bronze haired boy.**

"Thanks again, Bella!"

"Welcome, Rosalie"

"Call me Rose!"

"Ok, Rose." Emmett kissed her cheek happy that she had finally accepted me into the family. My Mom and Dad looked happy as well as Carlisle and Esme who looked so proud. Everything was definitely slotting into place.

**They were all looking away — away from each other, away from the other students, away from anything in particular as far as I could tell. As I watched, the small girl rose with her tray — unopened soda, unbitten apple — and walked away with a quick, graceful lope that belonged on a runway. I watched, amazed at her lithe dancer's step, till she dumped her tray and glided through the back door, faster than I would have thought possible.**

"Wow, Bella, really, really perceptive." Esme spoke up smiling at me. Blushing bright red, I smiled shyly. I shouldn't have been surprised, this wasn't the first time I'd been told this, Edward kept telling me this ever since I found out the Cullens were vampires.

**My eyes darted back to the others, who sat unchanging.**

**"Who are they?" I asked the girl from my Spanish class, whose name I'd forgotten.**

**As she looked up to see who I meant — though already knowing, probably, from my tone — suddenly he looked at her, the thinner one, the boyish one, the youngest, perhaps.**

Edward smiled brightly kissing my forehead.

**He looked at my neighbour for just a fraction of a second, and then his dark eyes flickered to mine. He looked away quickly, more quickly than I could, though in a flush of embarrassment I dropped my eyes at once. In that brief flash of a glance, his face held nothing of interest — it was as if she had called his name, and he'd looked up in involuntary response, already having decided not to answer.**

"That's when I found out I couldn't read your mind."

"That's your ability. You're a shield, a mental shield."

Edward smiled, looking the most relieved that he had in a long time, so did I. It was nice to find out that my brain wasn't messed up like I'd thought, this revelation made me wonder whether I'd be able to push it back and allow Edward access to my thoughts, it was definitely something to talk about after we'd finished reading.

**My neighbour giggled in embarrassment, looking at the table like I did.**

**"That's Edward and Emmett Cullen, and Rosalie and Jasper Hale. The one who left was Alice Cullen; they all live together with Dr Cullen and his wife." She said this under her breath.**

**I glanced sideways at the beautiful boy, who was looking at his tray now, picking a bagel to pieces with long, pale fingers. His mouth was moving very quickly, his perfect lips barely opening. The other three still looked away, and yet I felt he was speaking quietly to them.**

**Strange, unpopular names, I thought. The kinds of names grandparents had. But maybe that was in vogue here — small town names? I finally remembered that my neighbour was called Jessica, a perfectly common name. There were two girls named Jessica in my History class back home.**

**"They are… very nice-looking." I struggled with the conspicuous understatement.**

**"Yes!" Jessica agreed with another giggle. "They're all together though — Emmett and Rosalie, and Jasper and Alice, I mean. And they live together." Her voice held all the shock and condemnation of the small town, I thought critically. **

**But, if I was being honest, I had to admit that even in Phoenix, it would cause gossip.**

**"Which ones are the Cullen's?" I asked. "They don't look related…"**

**"Oh, they're not. Dr Cullen is really young, in his twenties or early thirties. They're all adopted. The Hales are brother and sister, twins — the blondes — and they're foster children."**

**"They look a little old for foster children."**

"Oh we are now!" Rose teased.

**"They are now, Jasper and Rosalie are both eighteen, but they've been with Mrs Cullen since they were eight. She's their aunt or something like that."**

**"That's really kind of nice — for them to take care of all those kids like that, when they're so young and everything."**

**"I guess so," Jessica admitted reluctantly, and I got the impression that she didn't like the doctor and his wife for some reason. With the glances she was throwing at their adopted children, I would presume the reason was jealousy. **

**"I think that Mrs Cullen can't have any kids, though," she added, as if that lessened their kindness.**

"Thanks, Bella." Esme smiled at me, she truly was a wonderful mother.

"If I may ask, how come?" my mother asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"When I got changed, the same goes for Alice and Rose, our bodies stopped changing. That includes our periods, we don't age and our growth stops. We're frozen at the age we were changed. I'm 26, Carlisle is frozen at 23, Rose is 18, Alice we think is around 17, Edward was changed when he was 17, and Emmett and Jasper are 20."

"Although if a male vampire consummates their relationship with a human, then she is still able to become pregnant."

Carlisle and Eleazar had matching looks on their faces, seems they weren't expecting me to know this piece of information. Smiling shyly, I prepared myself to answer knowing that this would be the question that would come next."

"How do you know that?"

"When I was researching vampires online I came across an article about the incubus." Switching on my IPad I clicked on the site I'd bookmarked the day I'd been trying to figure out The Cullens secret.

"Wow."

"Edward, I want to have your baby. I know the risks, but I trust you, you're my mate, you're incapable of hurting me. We're meant to be together. I very much want to be changed also, however I think we should read these books first."

"So do I, love." We'd had this talk a few days ago, but not what I already knew and just revealed to everyone else. But he had agreed to try when it was time and had agreed to wait until our wedding night."

**Throughout all this conversation, my eyes flickered again and again to the table where the strange family sat. They continued to look at the walls and not eat.**

**"Have they always lived in Forks?" I asked. Surely I would have noticed them on one of my summers here.**

**"No," she said in a voice that implied it should be obvious, even to a new arrival like me. "They just moved down two years ago from somewhere in Alaska."**

**I felt a surge of pity, and relief.**

"Er why?" Jasper asked as I nodded toward the book.

"It'll be explained soon."

**Pity because, as beautiful as they were, they were outsiders, clearly not accepted. Relief that I wasn't the only newcomer here;**"** and certainly not the most interesting by any standard. As I examined them, the youngest, one of the Cullens, looked up and met my gaze, this time with evident curiosity in his expression.**

"Ah ok." Renée, Charlie, Phil, I can feel and manipulative emotions that's why I asked." They smiled and nodded understanding appearing on their faces. I released the breath I hadn't even realised I'd been holding.

**As I looked swiftly away, it seemed to me that his glance held some kind of unmet expectation.**

**"Which one is the boy with the reddish brown hair?" I asked. I peeked at him from the corner of my eye, and he was still staring at me, but not gawking like the other students had today — he had a slightly frustrated expression. I looked down again.**

"Couldn't then and I still can't now, love. How I wish I could." Running my hand down his tense jaw I sighed, wishing I could make him relax more than he was, closing my eyes I rested my head against the crook of his neck. I knew this would be when we both needed comfort. He lifted my wrist to his mouth kissing it gently.

**"That's Edward. He's gorgeous, of course, but don't waste your time. He doesn't date. Apparently none of the girls here are good-looking enough for him." She sniffed; a clear case of sour grapes. I wondered when he'd turned her down.**

"Every day until I came to Forks." Edward smiled and kissed my neck much to the wolves' horror.

**I bit my lip to hide my smile. Then I glanced at him again. His face was turned away, but I thought his cheek appeared lifted, as if he were smiling, too.**

**After a few more minutes, the four of them left the table together. They all were noticeably graceful — even the big, brawny one. It was unsettling to watch. The one named Edward didn't look at me again.**

**I sat at the table with Jessica and her friends longer than I would have if I'd been sitting alone. I was anxious not to be late for class on my first day. One of my new acquaintances, who considerately reminded me that her name was Angela.**

"I like Angela, she doesn't gossip about other people she's my best friend." Alice and Jake looked at me with matching hurt expressions on their faces. Sighing I decided to explain myself better. "Human best friend. She's also perceptive like me, but she doesn't voice them out loud, she just wants us to be happy." Edward smiled and nodded in agreement.

**We had Biology II together for the next hour.**

Edward tensed, as I reached for his hand, hoping it would bring him comfort, I could feel my own heart beating rapidly in my chest, however it wasn't out of fear, that was the one thing I never had, I was more concerned on how the wolves would react, not to mention my parents.

**We walked to class together in silence. She was shy, too.**

**When we entered the classroom, Angela went to sit at a black-topped lab table exactly like the ones I was used to. She already had a neighbour. In fact, all the tables were filled but one. Next to the centre aisle, I recognized Edward Cullen by his unusual hair, sitting next to that single open seat.**

**As I walked down the aisle to introduce myself to the teacher and get my slip signed, I was watching him surreptitiously. Just as I passed, he suddenly went rigid in his seat. He stared at me again, meeting my eyes with the strangest expression on his face — it was hostile, furious.**

"What the Hell?!" Jake yelled.

"She's your singer and your mate. It's amazing to see how much strength you have to control your thirst, you're even able to kiss her wrist, her neck. It's amazing to witness."

"Singer? Mate!" Jake asked.

"Yes, from the moment our eyes met I knew Edward was the one I would spend the rest of my life with. No scratch that, the rest of my existence. He's everything to me. I love him so much even when I didn't understand what it was that made him act that way. When I found out what he was, it pained me to know how much he hurt to just to sit next to me in class. Hey Jazz, I just thought of something. Can we talk after this chapter?"

"Yes, Ma´am!" I blushed, as everyone but Alice and Jake laughed, they were still grumbling.

**I looked away quickly, shocked, going red again. I stumbled over a book in the walkway and had to catch myself on the edge of a table. The girl sitting there giggled. I'd noticed that his eyes were black — coal black. Mr Banner signed my slip and handed me a book with no nonsense about introductions. I could tell we were going to get along. Of course, he had no choice but to send me to the one open seat in the middle of the room. I kept my eyes down as I went to sit by him, bewildered by the antagonistic stare he'd given me.**

**I didn't look up as I set my book on the table and took my seat, but I saw his posture change from the corner of my eye. He was leaning away from me, sitting on the extreme edge of his chair and averting his face like he smelled something bad.**

**Inconspicuously, I sniffed my hair. It smelled like strawberries, the scent of my favourite shampoo. It seemed an innocent enough odour. I let my hair fall over my right shoulder, making a dark curtain between us, and tried to pay attention to the teacher.**

**Unfortunately the lecture was on cellular anatomy, something I'd already studied. I took notes carefully anyway, always looking down.**

**I couldn't stop myself from peeking occasionally through the screen of my hair at the strange boy next to me. During the whole class, he never relaxed his stiff position on the edge of his chair, sitting as far from me as possible. I could see his hand on his left leg was clenched into a fist, tendons standing out under his pale skin. This, too, he never relaxed.**

"You're scent mostly came from your hair that first day. When you moved it that combined with the standing fan it was very hard to control myself. I'm not proud of the things I was thinking that day." He took hold of my free hand and I gasped with the intensity of the electricity which shot up my arm and around my body.

**He had the long sleeves of his white shirt pushed up to his elbows, and his forearm was surprisingly hard and muscular beneath his light skin. He wasn't nearly as slight as he'd looked next to his burly brother.**

"I see what you mean, Love. It's ok."

"Every human I'm around thinks like that baby sis." Emmett smirked like a 4 year old. I couldn't help but smile at them.

**The class seemed to drag on longer than the others. Was it because the day was finally coming to a close, or because I was waiting for his tight fist to loosen? It never did; he continued to sit so still it looked like he wasn't breathing.**

**What was wrong with him?**

**Was this his normal behaviour? I questioned my judgment on Jessica's bitterness at lunch today. Maybe she was not as resentful as I'd thought.**

**It couldn't have anything to do with me. He didn't know me from Eve.**

**I peeked up at him one more time, and regretted it. He was glaring down at me again, his black eyes full of revulsion. As I flinched away from him, shrinking against my chair, the phrase if looks could kill suddenly ran through my mind.**

"Oh, love so sorry."

"It's okay Edward I love you." Mom, Dad, Carlisle and Esme smiled warmly, as we kissed passionately.

**At that moment, the bell rang loudly, making me jump, and Edward Cullen was out of his seat. Fluidly he rose — he was much taller than I'd thought — his back to me, and he was out the door before anyone else was out of their seat.**

**I sat frozen in my seat, staring blankly after him. He was so mean. It wasn't fair. I began gathering up my things slowly, trying to block the anger that filled me, for fear my eyes would tear up. For some reason, my temper was hardwired to my tear ducts. I usually cried when I was angry, a humiliating tendency.**

**"Aren't you Isabella Swan?" a male voice asked.**

**I looked up to see a cute, baby-faced boy; his pale blond hair carefully gelled into orderly spikes, smiling at me in a friendly way.**

"Urgh Mike Newton. Another one dad. He grumbled and wrote down Mike's name. . Mom was happy to see Charlie acting so daddy-like toward me. She of course couldn't help but smile, I think she finally realised that this was my home now. As much as she missed me, she could see the joy on my face as we delved further into the book.

**He obviously didn't think I smelled bad.**

**"Bella," I corrected him, with a smile.**

**"I'm Mike."**

**"Hi, Mike."**

**"Do you need any help finding your next class?"**

**"I'm headed to the gym, actually. I think I can find it."**

**"That's my next class, too." He seemed thrilled, though it wasn't that big of a coincidence in a school this small.**

**We walked to class together; he was a chatterer — he supplied most of the conversation, which made it easy for me. He'd lived in California till he was ten, so he knew how I felt about the sun. It turned out he was in my English class also. He was the nicest person I'd met today.**

"He was okay until he started acting like this. He's extremely persistent constantly trying to take me away from Edward instead of realising that Jessica is hooked on every word he says. That's another reason why Jessica hates me so much, the same with Tyler and Lauren, they are too stupid to see how much Edward and I love each other. Urgh!"

Edward rubbed my cheek trying to calm me down, as my Dad wrote everything down. Mom smiled at me, as did Phil. Esme and Carlisle looked so happy for both of us, along with the Denali's.

**But as we were entering the gym, he asked, "So, did you stab Edward Cullen with a pencil or what? I've never seen him act like that."**

**I cringed. So I wasn't the only one who had noticed. And, apparently, that wasn't Edward Cullen's usual behaviour. I decided to play dumb.**

**"Was that the boy I sat next to in Biology?" I asked artlessly.**

**"Yes," he said. "He looked like he was in pain or something."**

**"I don't know," I responded. "I never spoke to him."**

**"He's a weird guy."**

"He isn't, he's just misunderstood by most of the Forks High population, my Mom spoke out.

"Thanks, Renée."

**Mike lingered by me instead of heading to the dressing room. "If I were lucky enough to sit by you, I would have talked to you."**

**I smiled at him before walking through the girls' locker room door. He was friendly and clearly admiring. But it wasn't enough to ease my irritation.**

**The Gym teacher, Coach Clapp, found me a uniform but didn't make me dress down for today's class. At home, only two years of PE. were required. Here, P.E. was mandatory all four years. Forks was literally my personal hell on Earth.**

"Urgh, gym."

I'll talk to Principal Greene and see if there is anything we can do to get you into another class instead, I know how much you hate it, you shouldn't even be there with the injury you received three years ago." My dad smiled at me, my heart clenched at the determination, I knew he would manage to make it happen; he was the Police Chief after all.

"What injury?" Rose asked.

"When the attack at school happened, I was shot in the back; it fractured a piece of my spine, that's why my balance is so bad. It's also the reason why my legs go numb when I walk for too long." Rose along with everyone else looked horrified as Edward held my closer to him tightly.

**I watched four volleyball games running simultaneously. Remembering how many injuries I had sustained — and inflicted — playing volleyball, I felt faintly nauseated.**

**The final bell rang at last. I walked slowly to the office to return my paperwork. The rain had drifted away, but the wind was strong, and colder. I wrapped my arms around myself.**

**When I walked into the warm office, I almost turned around and walked back out.**

**Edward Cullen stood at the desk in front of me.**

""Sorry, love." Once again I ran my hand down his jaw whispering in his ear.

"It's okay now, Baby. We didn't know this beforehand." He smiled, as did some of our family, although the wolves seemed to still need some convincing.

**I recognized again that tousled bronze hair. He didn't appear to notice the sound of my entrance. I stood pressed against the back wall, waiting for the receptionist to be free. He was arguing with her in a low, attractive voice. I quickly picked up the gist of the argument. He was trying to trade from sixth-hour Biology to another time — any other time.**

**I just couldn't believe that this was about me. It had to be something else, something that happened before I entered the Biology room. The look on his face must have been about another aggravation entirely. It was impossible that this stranger could take such a sudden, intense dislike to me. The door opened again, and the cold wind suddenly gusted through the room, rustling the papers on the desk, swirling my hair around my face.**

"Just my luck too." We both sighed holding each other close.

**The girl who came in merely stepped to the desk, placed a note in the wire basket, and walked out again. But Edward Cullen's back stiffened, and he turned slowly to glare at me — his face was absurdly handsome — with piercing, hate-filled eyes. For an instant, I felt a thrill of genuine fear, raising the hair on my arms. The look only lasted a second, but it chilled me more than the freezing wind.**

"So you did have a normal response." I nodded looking into Edward's eyes sheepishly.

**He turned back to the receptionist.**

**"Never mind, then," he said hastily in a voice like velvet. "I can see that it's impossible. Thank you so much for your help." And he turned on his heel without another look at me, and disappeared out the door.**

**I went meekly to the desk, my face white for once instead of red, and handed her the signed slip.**

**"How did your first day go, dear?" the receptionist asked maternally.**

**"Fine," I lied, my voice weak. She didn't look convinced.**

**When I got to the truck, it was almost the last car in the lot. It seemed like a haven, already the closest thing to home I had in this damp green hole. I sat inside for a while, just staring out the windshield blankly. But soon I was cold enough to need the heater, so I turned the key and the engine roared to life. I headed back to Charlie's house, fighting tears the whole way there.**

So sorry, love, for making you cry and for scaring you." I kissed him passionately.

"It's okay baby."

"That was the end of Chapter One. Bella, what did you want to talk about?"

"You feel emotions right?" He nodded looking slightly confused.

"So whenever Edward feels thirsty and my blood calls to him, you also feel it, say I get a paper cut, or my period, you'll also feel thirsty." He nodded as Carlisle looked on completely fascinated.

"Since you're the newest to the vegetarian lifestyle you also have hardest time adjusting to my blood and Edward's reaction if he goes too long without hunting. I've brought a T-shirt which I don't wear anymore therefore it has my scent seeped into the fabric. I'm giving it to you so you'll be able to become desensitised to my scent also."

As I sipped my water, Carlisle praised me on my revelations I could tell none of them had even considered this to be a possibility and I felt proud to have been able to help my big brother. Edward couldn't keep the smile off his face as Esme came over to us, pulling me into a hug smiling as she stood up.

"Lunchtime."

It didn't take long before we were once again sitting around the coffee table in the living room preparing to read the second chapter. Alice was still upset with me as Rose took the book from Jasper.

"Open Book." Edward and I smiled brightly knowing exactly what was in this chapter.


	2. Open Book & Dinner

**Title:** Reading Twilight

**Author:** Bella Katelyn

**Rating:** M

**Summary:** The Cullens, Bella, Denali's, Wolfpack, Renee & Phil, Charlie, Billy, Harry and Sue sit down to read The Twilight Saga. How will Charlie react when he realises Vampires and Werewolves really exist. Will Renee Understand. How will the pack react to the REAL reason why The Cullens may leave? (Originally Written By MagicAndDemons4Ever) Consent has been given to write this as she is unable to continue.

**Disclaimer:** Twilight and its characters belong to author Stephanie Meyer, and is brought to the fandom by Summit Entertainment. I'm just borrowing the characters for my own enjoyment and hopefully yours. With that said I hope you enjoy this story as much as I'm going to enjoy writing it.

* * *

**Chapter Two**

**Open Book & Dinner**

**The next day was better…and worse.**

Emmett looked at Edward, I didn't know what he was thinking but whatever it was, and it was upsetting Edward. Glaring at Emmett I growled low, warning him not to push it. Just because Emmett was family didn't mean that I would go softly on him, of course with Emmett all you needed to do was threaten him with Rose taking away certain privileges. Running my hand up and down Edward's back, I smiled as Edward started to relax. That was until Emmett spoke.

"Okay...which one was your doing?"

"Leave him alone Emmett."

"Spoil sport. I'm only trying to lighten the mood."

"Guess what it's not working."

**It was better because it wasn't raining yet, though the clouds were dense and opaque. It was easier because I knew what to expect of my day. Mike came to sit by me in English, and walked me to my next class, with Chess Club Eric glaring at him all the while; that was nattering. People didn't look at me quite as much as they had yesterday. I sat with a big group at lunch that included Mike, Eric, Jessica, and several other people whose names and faces I now remembered. I began to feel like I was treading water, instead of drowning in it.**

**It was worse because I was tired; I still couldn't sleep with the wind echoing around the house. It was worse because Mr Varner called on me in Trig when my hand wasn't raised and I had the wrong answer. It was miserable because I had to play volleyball, and the one time I didn't cringe out of the way of the ball, I hit my teammate in the head with it.**

Emmett snorted. "Figures."

I glared at him, at the same time my mom and dad did. His shoulders hunched over to Rose, knowing that if I was glaring at him that he really did need to shut up. I could take his jokes most of the time, however when his jokes hurt Edward that was where I draw the line. Burying my head in Edward's chest I tried to hide my laughter as it would give me away. Taking a few deep breaths, once again Edward's scent cleared my mind and I was once again able to think clearly.

"What's wrong, Emmy-bear?"

"Your glares are devil-scaring, Bella."

Sliding off Edward's lap I walked toward him laughing as I ruffled his hair as if he were a small child with his toy been taken away from him. Kissing his cheek, before moving toward Rosalie kissing her cheek as well, I could tell she was shocked, as were the Denali's. I bit on my lip, feeling a little shy as she went to speak, her words coming out in a stutter.

"Wh-Why you kiss my c-cheek?"

"So you won't be jealous or feel left out as I kissed your mate's cheek."

I couldn't help but smile as Rose gave me a warm smile in return, it wasn't often I was surprised, however it was hard to believe how well we were getting on better now than we ever had, I only hoped the rest of the books were enough to put the past behind us once and for all. I didn't know why Rose had been cold toward me but I hoped that the books would give some insight into it. Walking back toward Edward I sighed in contentment as I slid back onto Edward's lap. The moment his arms wrapped around me I found myself instantly relaxed, getting ready to hear the rest of the chapter, yet still afraid for how Charlie would react to what happened after our second biology class together. Glancing toward the wolves, I frowned seeing they looked irritated and annoyed.

**And it was worse because Edward Cullen wasn't in school at all.**

Ha, looks like you made it worse." Jake smirked.

"By not being there?"

That shut Jake up, if there was one thing Jake hated it was being made fun of, although something told me that we would be seeing a lot more of Jake in the near future, I just couldn't place why that reason could be, especially since right now he hated the fact that I was with Edward. Nuzzling my head against Edward's cheek, I glanced over at my father seeing him trying unsuccessfully to keep the smirk off his face. This of course made me curious and I needed to know why he agreed.

"Dad, you agree?"

"Bells, just watching you and Edward it's a wonder how you can bear to be apart from each other. Like I said, I accept that Edward is your forever and I won't try and set you up with Jacob and neither will Billy. I see now that you only see him as a baby brother."

Smiling I leaned forward flinging my arms around Charlie saying thank you over and over again, My mom and Phil laughed at our antics I could tell that my family and the Denali's were shocked at just how well my parents were taking all of this. I had to say I was pretty shocked myself. This definitely wasn't the reaction I was expecting. My eyes fell on Tanya as I settled myself back into Edward's arms, keeping eye contact as she spoke.

"Bella I was wondering if I could talk to you after this chapter."

"Of course Tanya."

**All morning I was dreading lunch, fearing his bizarre glares. Part of me wanted to confront him and demand to know what his problem was. While I was lying sleepless in my bed, I even imagined what I would say. But I knew myself too well to think I would really have the guts to do it. I made the Cowardly Lion look like the terminator**.

Edward looked at me, his crooked smile dazzling me once more, I still found it hard to believe anyone as good as Edward could fall in love with me, but I was slowly starting to see myself the way he did. I only wished he could see himself as clearly, he may be a vampire, but deep down he was still just a 17 year old boy, who'd been through more in his life than anyone ever should. Looking into his eyes, I smiled finally remembering how to breathe.

"Says one of the bravest people I know."

Sighing I shook my head rolling my eyes, sometimes being brave wasn't exactly easy, especially after the last six months, when James attacked, the only thing keeping me from giving up was the hope that Edward would come for me. Burying my head in Edward's neck I breathed out trying to keep my composure. I could tell my family and the Denali's were shocked at my reaction. They were all thinking the same thing. _Girl hangs out with vampires and thinks she is a coward?_

"Bella's not a coward to even sit and kiss a vampire like that she is now."

"Thanks Kate. I know back then I was a bit stupid, I felt so angry and confused asking myself why he suddenly hated me when we hadn't even met before that day." Kate smiled nodding her own thanks.

**But when I walked into the cafeteria with Jessica — trying to keep my eyes from sweeping the place for him, and failing entirely — I saw that his four siblings of sorts were sitting together at the same table, and he was not with them.**

Seth cast a surprised glance at Edward. I could tell what he was thinking without Edward's mind reading ability. _That bad?_ He knew that Edward was probably one of the most controlled vampires he knew. If he had a hard time being around Bella, how everyone else manage it. Edward just grimaced instead of answering. Seth only looked away, as I took hold of his hand again managing to calm Edward down instantly. Slumping back in the chair bringing me with him, he started to pinch the bridge of his nose.

**Mike intercepted us and steered us to his table. Jessica seemed elated by the attention, and her friends quickly joined us. But as I tried to listen to their easy chatter, I was terribly uncomfortable, waiting nervously for the moment he would arrive. I hoped that he would simply ignore me when he came, and prove my suspicions false. He didn't come, and as time passed I grew more and more tense.**

**I walked to Biology with more confidence when, by the end of lunch, he still hadn't showed. Mike, who was taking on the qualities of a golden retriever…**

Everyone laughed.

"It's true, this guy acts more like a dog than I do. " Jake laughed.

"Hard to imagine." Rose sniffed wrinkling her nose; I couldn't stop myself from laughing, relaxing as I heard her laughing along with me. Everyone else still seemed shocked at how close we were getting as Alice sat fuming silently. I knew she was jealous I just wished she could see that there was no way she could be replaced; Alice would always be my best friend.

**He walked faithfully by my side to class. I held my breath at the door, but Edward Cullen wasn't there, either. I exhaled and went to my seat. Mike followed, talking about an upcoming trip to the beach.**

"Is this the one where we meet?" Jake asked looking in my direction.

"Yeah, but if I remember correctly, it was postponed several times so I have no idea when it will come up in the book."

He nodded, remembering what happened the day I found out Edward was a vampire. I cringed despite knowing Edward knew that I'd flirted with Jake to get information out of him, Jacob however didn't. Add that to the fact that the elder's and other wolves didn't know it was actually Jake who broke the treaty by telling me the Quileute legends. Mom and Dad smiled as Phil spoke.

"I remember that, Bells, you spoke about it briefly that's also how you found out the Cullens secret."

Jacob gulped, earning a glare from me warning him not to say anything out loud or in his thoughts.

**He lingered by my desk till the bell rang. Then he smiled at me wistfully and went to sit by a girl with braces and a bad perm. It looked like I was going to have to do something about Mike, and it wouldn't be easy. In a town like this, where everyone lived on top of everyone else, diplomacy was essential. I had never been enormously tactful; I had no practice dealing with overly friendly boys.**

Rose just smiled now she knew the truth, as I smiled back. Emmett was happy to see his wife finally accept me into the family. Jasper smiled too, despite Alice was still grumpy.

**I was relieved that I had the desk to myself, that Edward was absent. I told myself that repeatedly. But I couldn't get rid of the nagging suspicion that I was the reason he wasn't there. It was ridiculous, and egotistical, to think that I could affect anyone that strongly. It was impossible. And yet I couldn't stop worrying that it was true. **

"Trust Bella to feel egoistical for worrying that she made a boy angry." Alice mumbled.

"Honestly Alice, I'm not that bad." I couldn't help but glare at her, I didn't know what her problem was but she was seriously starting to get on my nerves.

"'Of course you're not, you're just too _good_."

Glaring at her I made the decision to set fire to her designer wardrobe. I may seem good, but push me too far and then she wold see a side to me that didn't come out very often, ever since the James incident I'd become a lot stronger, Alice was my best friend but even she could push my buttons, taking a deep breath I controlled my anger staring at my pixie sister. I tried to hide my laughter at the look of horror which had reappeared on her face.

"Am I now?" I smirked raising my eyebrow slightly.

"You wouldn't."

I could tell Dad looked confused by our disagreement.

"Alice sees the future, she saw me as Edward's mate when I decided to move to Forks."

The Denali's and our family were still shocked I could be so devious, I sighed looking over at Alice, I wished she'd get out of her mood, these books were meant to be a way of them understanding me, not going in a huff because they'd somehow managed to bring Rosalie and I closer together. Suddenly I felt myself calming down, looking over at Jasper I knew he was working overtime to keep everyone calm.

**When the school day was finally done, and the blush was fading out of my cheeks from the volleyball incident, I changed quickly back into my jeans and navy blue sweater. I hurried from the girls' locker room, pleased to find that I had successfully evaded my retriever friend for the moment. I walked swiftly out to the parking lot. It was crowded now with fleeing students. I got in my truck and dug through my bag to make sure I had what I needed. Last night I'd discovered that Charlie couldn't cook much besides fried eggs and bacon.**

"Though those are probably the best eggs and bacon I have ever ate," Jacob smiled, the talk of food was making him hungry I could just see it, I could understand, I was starting to feel hungry myself.

"Well, I have had a years and years to practice." Charlie muttered.

"Dad, I'll teach you how to cook the next time I'm not able to be here, that'll probably be in a few days when Edward needs to hunt again." He smiled widely, and nodded at my eagerness and that I wanted to spend some time with him.

**So I requested that I be assigned kitchen detail for the duration of my stay. He was willing enough to hand over the keys to the banquet hall. I also found out that he had no food in the house. So I had my shopping list and the cash from the jar in the cupboard labelled FOOD MONEY, and I was on my way to the Thriftway. **

**I gunned my deafening engine to life, ignoring the heads that turned in my direction, and backed carefully into a place in the line of cars that were waiting to exit the parking lot. As I waited, trying to pretend that the ear-splitting rumble was coming from someone else's car, I saw the two Cullens and the Hale twins getting into their car. It was the shiny new Volvo. Of course. I hadn't noticed their clothes before…**

Alice narrowed her eyes, as I glared back.

— **I'd been too mesmerized by their faces. Now that I looked, it was obvious that they were all dressed exceptionally well; simply, but in clothes that subtly hinted at designer origins.**

"Of course, Alice dresses us," Edward smirked.

I looked down, burying my head in Edward's chest trying to ignore the stares that were being thrown my way. I hated to be dressed up. My mom knew this from experience so she came over to us and sat on the floor next to me for support. Taking a deep breath I calmed down knowing in the back of my head that I was being stupid, as much as I hated being poked and prodded, Alice was going to get her way no matter what I did.

**With their remarkable good looks, the style with which they carried themselves, they could have worn dishrags and pulled it off. **

Everyone in the room tried hard not to laugh at Alice's expression.

"Not if I have anything to do with it."

I sighed again in anger. My mom squeezed my hand supportively as she looked at Edward focusing her thoughts toward him. _"Help Bella, to be off Alice's smugness and being her Barbie doll. Otherwise you will handle a pissed off 17 nearly 18 teenage girl who loathes it on your hands."_

He gave her a nod, letting her know that he'd heard her, wrapping his arms around my waist as Renee went back to her place in between Phil and Charlie.

**It seemed excessive for them to have both looks and money. But as far as I could tell, life worked that way most of the time. It didn't look as if it bought them any acceptance here. No, I didn't fully believe that. The isolation must be their desire; I couldn't imagine any door that wouldn't be opened by that degree of beauty.**

**They looked at my noisy truck as I passed them, just like everyone else. I kept my eyes straight forward and was relieved when I finally was free of the school grounds. The Thriftway was not far from the school, just a few streets south, off the highway. It was nice to be inside the supermarket; it felt normal.**

Alice shook her head.

"How can you stand that place? Have you any idea how it smells like?"

I sighed didn't want to explain the money issue again.

**I did the shopping at home, and I fell into the pattern of the familiar task gladly. The store was big enough inside that I couldn't hear the tapping of the rain on the roof to remind me where I was. When I got home, I unloaded all the groceries, stuffing them in wherever I could find an open space. I hoped Charlie wouldn't mind. I wrapped potatoes in foil and stuck them in the oven to bake, covered a steak in marinade and balanced it on top of a carton of eggs in the fridge.**

**When I was finished with that, I took my book bag upstairs. Before starting my homework, I changed into a pair of dry sweats, pulled my damp hair up into a pony-tail, and checked my e-mail for the first time. I had three messages.**

"All from mom, of course."

"Did you stay in touch with your old schoolmates in Phoenix?" Jasper asked me, looking curious.

Not much, we did write to each other every so often to find out what the news was that week but nothing was set in stone. You know how it goes, out of sight, out of mind. And considering I couldn't speak with them about really important things, there wasn't much to tell."

He nodded starting to understand more about me.

_**"Bella," my mom wrote…**_

_**Write me as soon as you get in. Tell me how your flight was. Is it raining? I miss you already. I'm almost finished packing for Florida, but I can't find my pink blouse. Do you know where I put it? Phil says hi. **_

_**Mom.**_

**I sighed and went to the next. It was sent eight hours after the first.**

"About the time I reached home." I smiled shaking my head at the craziness that was my mother.

_**"Bella," she wrote…**_

_**Why haven't you e-mailed me yet? What are you waiting for? **_

_**Mom.**_

**The last was from this morning.**

_**Isabella,**_

"Someone is in troubleeee!" Emmett yelled as he and Jake looked at each other surprised as Seth laughed I just glared at Jacob, I hated it when he made fun of me.

_**If I haven't heard from you by 5:30 p.m. today I'm calling Charlie.**_

**I checked the clock. I still had an hour, but my mom was well known for jumping the gun.**

_**Mom,**_

_**Calm down. I'm writing right now. Don't do anything rash.**_

_**Bella.**_

**I sent that, and began again.**

_**Mom,**_

_**Everything is great. Of course it's raining. I was waiting for something to write about. School isn't bad, just a little repetitive. I met some nice kids who sit by me at lunch. Your blouse is at the dry cleaners - you were supposed to pick it up Friday.**_

_**Charlie bought me a truck, can you believe it? I love it. It's old, but really sturdy, which is good, you know, for me.**_

_**I miss you, too. I'll write again soon, but I'm not going to check my e-mail every five minutes. **_

_**Relax, breathe. I love you.**_

_**Bella**_

**I had decided to read Wuthering Heights.**

Everyone in the room rolled their eyes

"Do you ever get bored of this book?" Edward asked looking exasperated.

"No." I smirked as he kissed my cheek.

— **the novel we were currently studying in English — yet again for the fun of it, and that's what I was doing when Charlie came home. I'd lost track of the time, and I hurried downstairs to take the potatoes out and put the steak in to broil.**

**"Bella?" my father called out when he heard me on the stairs.**

**Who else? I thought to myself.**

"Oh I can name a few possibilities," Emmett smirked.

"Like who?" Charlie asked sharply before I could say anything.

"Oh, you have no idea how many people have used Bella's bedroom window as an entrance," Emmett said, ignoring the glares she was getting from both Edward and me.

"Who?" repeated Charlie angrily; I realised he wasn't going to let it go.

"If you just have to know, then Alice, Edward and Jasper," I answered. "And relax, dad, most of them just wanted a quick word. Jasper once to calm me down." He gave me a look, as I gave a shy smile. Edward gasped at whatever Charlie was thinking about and pulled me closer. It was about a nightmare of the shooting at my old school.

**"Hey, Dad, welcome home."**

**"Thanks." He hung up his gun belt and stepped out of his boots as I bustled about the kitchen. As far as I was aware, he'd never shot the gun on the job. But he kept it ready.**

**When I came here as a child, he would always remove the bullets as soon as he walked in the door. I guess he considered me old enough now not to shoot myself by accident, and not depressed enough to shoot myself on purpose.**

Charlie shuddered slightly. Just a few months later he had begun not only taking bullets out, but also hiding gun from a view as soon as he came home, not wanting to give me any ideas. He saw Edward wincing from the corner of his eye. _Kid probably realised what I'm thinking about. Good for him. _

**"What's for dinner?" he asked warily. My mother was an imaginative cook, and her experiments weren't always edible. I was surprised, and sad, that he seemed to remember that far back.**

Esme laughed.

"What did you two end up eating?"

Charlie grinned sheepishly.

"Sometimes she had a pretty good idea but usually we just went to the diner a lot."

I laughed.

Some things never change. Why do you think I learned how to cook?"

**"Steak and potatoes," I answered, and he looked relieved.**

Charlie looked a little embarrassed. Mom, Sue and Esme smiled at him.

**He seemed to feel awkward standing in the kitchen doing nothing; he lumbered into the living room to watch TV while I worked. We were both more comfortable that way. I made a salad while the steaks cooked, and set the table. I called him in when dinner was ready, and he sniffed appreciatively as he walked into the room.**

**"Smells good, Bell."**

**"Thanks."**

**We ate in silence for a few minutes. It wasn't uncomfortable. Neither of us was bothered by the quiet. In some ways, we were well suited for living together.**

**"So, how did you like school? Have you made any friends?" he asked as he was taking seconds.**

**"Well, I have a few classes with a girl named Jessica. I sit with her friends at lunch. And there's this boy, Mike, who's very friendly. Everybody seems pretty nice." With one outstanding exception.**

**"That must be Mike Newton. Nice kid — nice family. His dad owns the sporting goods store just outside of town. He makes a good living off all the backpackers who come through here."**

Edward made a face.

**"Do you know the Cullen family?" I asked hesitantly.**

**"Dr Cullen's family? Sure. Dr Cullen's a great man."**

Every Cullen child and Esme smiled at Charlie, who looked rather uncomfortable. He knew this would get even worse.

**"They… the kids… are a little different. They don't seem to fit in very well at school." Charlie surprised me by looking angry.**

**"People in this town," he muttered. "Dr Cullen is a brilliant surgeon who could probably work in any hospital in the world, make ten times the salary he gets here," he continued, getting louder. "We're lucky to have him — lucky that his wife wanted to live in a small town. He's an asset to the community, and all of those kids are well behaved and polite. I had my doubts, when they first moved in, with all those adopted teenagers. I thought we might have some problems with them. But they're all very mature — I haven't had one speck of trouble from any of them. That's more than I can say for the children of some folks who have lived in this town for generations. And they stick together the way a family should — camping trips every other weekend… Just because they're newcomers, people have to talk."**

There was stunned silence. I was the only one, who didn't look surprised. Alice beamed at Charlie.

"Wow, this is the nicest thing anyone has ever said about us."

Everyone else nodded in agreement. Carlisle looked at Charlie straight into the eye. "You know, Charlie this truly means a lot for us. Even if you... may have changed your mind about something you said."

Charlie made an odd movement, which was something between nodding and shaking his head. He didn't know what to think anymore. Jasper noticed his distress and tried to erase it a little, while gesturing Rosalie to continue reading.

**It was the longest speech I'd ever heard Charlie make. He must feel strongly about whatever people were saying.**

**I backpedalled. "They seemed nice enough to me. I just noticed they kept to themselves. They're all very attractive," I added, trying to be more complimentary.**

**"You should see the doctor," Charlie said, laughing. "It's a good thing he's happily married. A lot of the nurses at the hospital have a hard time concentrating on their work with him around."**

"Do they now?" Esme laughed growling playfully. She couldn't really accuse them. Carlisle smiled sheepishly at her, as I burst into laughter. After calming down, Rosalie continued to read.

**We lapsed back into silence as we finished eating. He cleared the table while I started on the dishes. He went back to the TV, and after I finished washing the dishes by hand — no dishwasher — I went upstairs unwillingly to work on my math homework. I could feel a tradition in the making. That night it was finally quiet. I fell asleep quickly, exhausted.**

**The rest of the week was uneventful. I got used to the routine of my classes. By Friday I was able to recognize, if not name, almost all the students at school. In Gym, the kids on my team learned not to pass me the ball and to step quickly in front of me if the other team tried to take advantage of my weakness. I happily stayed out of their way.**

**Edward Cullen didn't come back to school.**

"How long were you away?" Seth asked.

"I was back by Monday," Edward answered.

Fortunately" I mumbled, thinking about the Tuesday morning. Edward drew me closer to his body as everybody looked confused, but gasped of the pain etched on his face. I held Edward's hand harder, knowing exactly where his mind has gone to.

**Every day, I watched anxiously until the rest of the Cullens entered the cafeteria without him. Then I could relax and join in the lunchtime conversation. Mostly it centred on a trip to the La Push Ocean Park in two weeks that Mike was putting together. I was invited, and I had agreed to go, more out of politeness than desire. Beaches should be hot and dry.**

Mom and I smiled at each other, as Dad saw our smile, and recognized the same smile he had whenever he smiled, his smile grew bigger as he watched us together.

**By Friday I was perfectly comfortable entering my Biology class, no longer worried that Edward would be there. For all I knew, he had dropped out of school. I tried not to think about him, but I couldn't totally suppress the worry that I was responsible for his continued absence, ridiculous as it seemed.**

**My first weekend in Forks passed without incident. Charlie, unused to spending time in the usually empty house, worked most of the weekend. I cleaned the house, got ahead on my homework, and wrote my mom more bogusly cheerful e-mail. I did drive to the library Saturday, but it was so poorly stocked that I didn't bother to get a card; I would have to make a date to visit Olympia or Seattle soon and find a good bookstore. I wondered idly what kind of gas mileage the truck got… and shuddered at the thought.**

"Never managed to get to Seattle after all," I stated mostly to myself more than anyone else.

"Why not?"

"Edward and I went somewhere else that day, although you're going to have to wait and find out as I'm not revealing anything."

**The rain stayed soft over the weekend, quiet, so I was able to sleep well.**

**People greeted me in the parking lot Monday morning. I didn't know all their names, but I waved back and smiled at everyone. It was colder this morning, but happily not raining. In English, Mike took his accustomed seat by my side. We had a pop quiz on Wuthering Heights. It was straightforward, very easy.**

"For you, it most definitely is," Edward chuckled, looking into his eyes I couldn't help but poke my tongue out at him. I knew it was childish but I couldn't help it.

**All in all, I was feeling a lot more comfortable than I had thought I would feel by this point. More comfortable than I had ever expected to feel here.**

**When we walked out of class, the air was full of swirling bits of white. I could hear people shouting excitedly to each other. The wind bit at my cheeks, my nose.**

**"Wow," Mike said. "It's snowing."**

"No shit, Sherlock" Jacob rolled his eyes. Edward supressed a snigger. I glared at Jacob's use of his foul language. Carlisle smiled a little at the mention of the famous detective, whom the most people believed to be a fictional character. He had had a fortune to meet him briefly... but this is a story for the other time.

**I looked at the little cotton fluffs that were building up along the sidewalk and swirling erratically past my face.**

**"Eww." Snow. There went my good day.**

Seth looked surprised. „Don't you like snow?" he asked out loud.

"I do, now" I smiled. "But before, I was used to the heat, so when I came here, it was like a shock to my body I realised how cold it really was here, but as I said I'm used to it more now." Seth smiled at me, and nodded.

**He looked surprised. "Don't you like snow?"**

**"No. That means it's too cold for rain." Obviously. "Besides, I thought it was supposed to come down in flakes — you know, each one unique and all that. These just look like the ends of Q-tips."**

"Ends of Q-tips." Emmett smiled. "You for sure have a weird mind, little sis."

I smiled as I did the mature thing and stuck her tongue out to him. Charlie looked at us, a little surprised. He'd never seen me act like that. But then again, Emmett could probably bring out a childish side from anyone. I smiled at Emmett's help to calm my Dad down.

**"Haven't you ever seen snow fall before?" he asked incredulously.**

**"Sure I have." I paused." On TV."**

Everyone laughed, My Dad was loudest.

**Mike laughed. And then a big, squishy ball of dripping snow smacked into the back of his head. We both turned to see where it came from. I had my suspicions about Eric, who was walking away, his back toward us — in the wrong direction for his next class. Mike apparently had the same notion. He bent over and began scraping together a pile of the white mush.**

Edward laughed "Remind me to thank Eric if we ever meet him again."

From all my admirers at school, Eric was definitely most bearable. At least he was smart enough to back off when he was told no.

**"I'll see you at lunch, okay?" I kept walking as I spoke. "Once people start throwing wet stuff, I go inside."**

**He just nodded his eyes on Eric's retreating figure. Throughout the morning, everyone chattered excitedly about the snow; apparently I was the first snowfall of the new year. I kept my mouth shut. Sure, it was drier than rain — until it melted in your socks.**

**I walked alertly to the cafeteria with Jessica after Spanish. Mush balls were flying everywhere. I kept a binder in my hands, ready to use it as a shield if necessary.**

Charlie couldn't help but smile "I somehow doubt this would have helped much." Emmett and Edward laughed. I just blushed of its memories, as Edward stroke my cheek.

**Jessica thought I was hilarious, but something in my expression kept her from lobbing a snowball at me herself.**

Edward laughed again. "She did have some self-preservation instincts. You looked rather scary at the moment."

Charlie narrowed his eyes at him. "And how would you know that?"

"I was back," said Edward simply. Dad smiled and nodded.

**Mike caught up to us as we walked in the doors, laughing, with ice melting the spikes in his hair. He and Jessica were talking animatedly about the snow fight as we got in line to buy food. I glanced toward that table in the corner out of habit. And then I froze where I stood. There were five people at the table. Jessica pulled on my arm.**

**"Hello? Bella? What do you want?"**

**I looked down; my ears were hot. I had no reason to feel self-conscious, I reminded myself. I hadn't done anything wrong.**

**"What's with Bella?" Mike asked Jessica.**

**"Nothing," I answered. "I'll just get a soda today." I caught up to the end of the line.**

**"Aren't you hungry?" Jessica asked.**

**"Actually, I feel a little sick," I said, my eyes still on the floor.**

**I waited for them to get their food, and then followed them to a table, my eyes on my feet. I sipped my soda slowly, my stomach churning. Twice Mike asked, with unnecessary concern, how I was feeling.**

"He's a nice boy," Charlie remarked. _Why couldn't Bella fell in love with him? _

Emmett snorted.

"You wouldn't have thought him so nice if you had heard how he fantasised about Bella." Edward said before he could stop himself. Charlie slowly started to turn red; Carlisle and I looked at him concerned for his health.

"Are you trying to say this... this... boy fantasised about my little girl? And spoke about that?" he thundered.

"Well... he didn't exactly know anyone would hear." Edward said carefully. "But essentially, yes"

It took all Jasper's might to keep Charlie from either having a stroke or running from the room out the front door to go and arrest Mike. This wasn't made any easier by the fact that he would have hardly felt sorry for the boy.

**I told him it was nothing, but I was wondering if I should play it up and escape to the nurse's office for the next hour.**

Emmett shook his head with a mock sadness "Skipping, Bells. really."

I smiled at his big brother. She knew he was just doing it to help Charlie calm down.

**Ridiculous. I shouldn't have to run away.**

**I decided to permit myself one glance at the Cullen family's table. If he was glaring at me, I would skip Biology, like the coward I was.**

**I kept my head down and glanced up under my lashes. None of them were looking this way. I lifted my head a little.**

**They were laughing. Edward, Jasper, and Emmett all had their hair entirely saturated with melting snow. Alice and Rosalie were leaning away as Emmett shook his dripping hair toward them. They were enjoying the snowy day, just like everyone else — only they looked more like a scene from a movie than the rest of us.**

Rosalie laughed slightly.

"At least you didn't see the part where Emmett tried to act 'normal' and cracked a snowball against the brick on the other side a room." Bella laughed.

"Which cracked, snowball or brick?"

"Both."

Now everyone was laughing, expect Charlie, who just stared at Emmett. Emmett explained that he had brought his human strength to this life and it involved in tenfold. He was calm again.

**But, aside from the laughter and playfulness, there was something different, and I couldn't quite pinpoint what that difference was. I examined Edward the most carefully. His skin was less pale, I decided — flushed from the snow fight maybe — the circles under his eyes much less noticeable. But there was something more. I pondered, staring, trying to isolate the change.**

"Eye colour." I muttered. Jasper looked shocked.

"You saw that from this far away?" I shrugged.

"I didn't see what was different, just that something was." He looked shocked still but not as much after seeing my smile at him.

**"Bella, what are you staring at?" Jessica intruded, her eyes following my stare.**

**At that precise moment, his eyes flashed over to meet mine. I dropped my head, letting my hair fall to conceal my face. I was sure, though, in the instant our eyes met, that he didn't look harsh or unfriendly as he had the last time I'd seen him. He looked merely curious again, unsatisfied in some way.**

Seth chuckled, knowing what it meant. _Poor guy is trying to figure out why he can't hear her thoughts._ Edward's grimace was enough to confirm his suspicions. I took his hand to calm, so he looked down and kissed me.

**"Edward Cullen is staring at you," Jessica giggled in my ear.**

**"He doesn't look angry, does he?" I couldn't help asking.**

**"No," she said, sounding confused by my question. "Should he be?"**

**"I don't think he likes me," I confided. I still felt queasy. I put my head down on my arm.**

**"The Cullens don't like anybody…well; they don't notice anybody enough to like them. But he's still staring at you."**

**"Stop looking at him," I hissed.**

**She snickered, but she looked away. I raised my head enough to make sure that she did, contemplating violence if she resisted.**

Jacob chuckled "You're right, Edward, she does have some self-preservation instincts. Especially if you take into consideration how violent Bella is." He grimaced.

I was too annoyed and said glaring at him coldly.

"Shut up, Jacob. I would if you don't shut up soon. I'm tired of your sneers and snide comments!" Mom and Dad were shocked, but proud of my backbone and standing up for myself Billy glared but didn't say anything, but still thought that she would need good beating of Jacob to see that she belonged to him not Edward the _leech._ Edward glared at Billy his golden eyes turning coal black, I could feel the rumbles of his chest against my cheek.

"Calm down, Edward. Billy, I don't belong to a boy who thinks he owns me like a fuck-toy or beat-doll!"

Mom and Dad gasped of this information, and Edward confirmed it. All others was shocked what Billy had been thinking and glared hatefully at him, as Jasper snarled.

"No one will beat our little sister for not responding a little childish boy fantasises."

**Mike interrupted us then — he was planning an epic battle of the blizzard in the parking lot after school and wanted us to join. Jessica agreed enthusiastically. The way she looked at Mike left little doubt that she would be up for anything he suggested. I kept silent. I would have to hide in the gym until the parking lot cleared.**

Jacob laughed. „That I would have liked to see."

"Well, too bad then that snow melted before gym had even begun." I snapped. I was beginning to get annoyed with Jacob already and I knew that things would only get worse, when Edward and I got together. He hadn't listened or learned anything. Edward held mw back as I was close to punching him at this point.

**For the rest of the lunch hour I very carefully kept my eyes at my own table. I decided to honour the bargain I'd made with myself. Since he didn't look angry, I would go to Biology. My stomach did frightened little flips at the thought of sitting next to him again.**

**I didn't really want to walk to class with Mike as usual — he seemed to be a popular target for the snowball snipers.**

The boys laughed. "Tough luck Mikey boy."

"Like others have to learn!" I snapped at them. My Mom was comforting me now, so did Leah as she understood me now. She even glared at Jacob.

— **but when we went to the door, everyone besides me groaned in unison. It was raining, washing all traces of the snow away in clear, icy ribbons down the side of the walkway. I pulled my hood up, secretly pleased. I would be free to go straight home after Gym. Mike kept up a string of complaints on the way to building four.**

**Once inside the classroom, I saw with relief that my table was still empty. Mr Banner was walking around the room, distributing one microscope and box of slides to each table. Class didn't start for a few minutes, and the room buzzed with conversation. I kept my eyes away from the door, doodling idly on the cover of my notebook.**

**I heard very clearly when the chair next to me moved, but my eyes stayed carefully focused on the pattern I was drawing.**

**"Hello," said a quiet, musical voice.**

**I looked up, stunned that he was speaking to me.**

"Yeah, why did you?" Leah asked. "I mean no offense or anything, but after the last chapter it doesn't really make sense."

"At first I just wanted to calm her down, so she wouldn't think anything of the way I acted last time." Edward explained. "But I must say I was curious." He tapped his temple, so Leah could understand, what he meant. "And the more I talked to her, the more curious I became." I smiled at her, at the same time Edward did. She smiled back shyly.

**He was sitting as far away from me as the desk allowed, but his chair was angled toward me. His hair was dripping wet, dishevelled — even so, he looked like he'd just finished shooting a commercial for hair gel. His dazzling face was friendly, open, a slight smile on his flawless lips. But his eyes were careful.**

**"My name is Edward Cullen," he continued. "I didn't have a chance to introduce myself last week. You must be Bella Swan."**

**My mind was spinning with confusion. Had I made up the whole thing? He was perfectly polite now. I had to speak; he was waiting. But I couldn't think of anything conventional to say.**

**"H-how do you know my name?" I stammered.**

**He laughed a soft, enchanting laugh.**

**"Oh, I think everyone knows your name. The whole town's been waiting for you to arrive."**

**I grimaced. I knew it was something like that.**

**"No," I persisted stupidly. "I meant, why did you call me Bella?"**

**He seemed confused. "Do you prefer Isabella?"**

**"No, I like Bella," I said. "But I think Charlie — I mean my dad — must call me Isabella behind my back — that's what everyone here seems to know me as," I tried to explain, feeling like an utter moron.**

"Sorry." Charlie grinned. "Had I known this would be annoying for you I would have told everyone not to use your full name." I just smiled and waved it off. He knew now.

**"Oh." He let it drop. I looked away awkwardly.**

**Thankfully, Mr Banner started class at that moment. I tried to concentrate as he explained the lab we would be doing today. The slides in the box were out of order. Working as lab partners, we had to separate the slides of onion root tip cells into the phases of mitosis they represented and label them accordingly. We weren't supposed to use our books. In twenty minutes, he would be coming around to see who had it right.**

**"Get started," he commanded.**

**"Ladies first, partner?" Edward asked. I looked up to see him smiling a crooked smile so beautiful that I could only stare at him like an idiot.**

**"Or I could start, if you wish." The smile faded; he was obviously wondering if I was mentally competent.**

"No, I was thinking I had freaked you out." I shook my head letting him know he hadn't before kissing my way down his jawline smiling to myself as I heard the moan escape his lips.

**"No," I said, flushing. "I'll go ahead."**

**I was showing off, just a little. I'd already done this lab, and I knew what I was looking for. It should be easy. I snapped the first slide into place under the microscope and adjusted it quickly to the 40X objective. I studied the slide briefly.**

**My assessment was confident." **

"**Prophase."**

**"Do you mind if I look?" he asked as I began to remove the slide. His hand caught mine, to stop me, as he asked. His fingers were ice-cold, like he'd been holding them in a snowdrift before class. But that wasn't why I jerked my hand away so quickly. When he touched me, it stung my hand as if an electric current had passed through us.**

""You felt it too?" I nodded at Eleazar's questions, but looked confused.

"It's how we find our mates, it can be different for all of us how it feels like. For me with Carmen I felt it the first time we made love." I blushed at his honesty and bluntness. My Mom and Dad looked uncomfortable. I just smiled at them, letting them know we had to talk about it later on. They both nodded, so did Phil.

Jacob rolled his eyes. "Yeah" he said sarcastically. "Electric current. Real cute."

Leah smacked him over his head. "Will you stop with that? I'm sick of you two glaring at each other." Jacob glared at her clearly still angry. She flipped him the bird turning away from him. Charlie was beginning to look weird again, so Harry held his shoulder to support him smiling at his daughter feeling proud that she had defended Bella. Leah smiled at her father.

**"I'm sorry," he muttered, pulling his hand back immediately. However, he continued to reach for the microscope. I watched him, still staggered, as he examined the slide for an even shorter time than I had.**

**"Prophase," he agreed, writing it neatly in the first space on our worksheet. He swiftly switched out the first slide for the second, and then glanced at it cursorily.**

**"Anaphase," he murmured, writing it down as he spoke.**

**I kept my voice indifferent. "May I?"**

**He smirked and pushed the microscope to me.**

**I looked through the eyepiece eagerly, only to be disappointed. Dang it, he was right.**

Edward chuckled. "Did you want me to be wrong?" he asked, his eyes twinkling.

I pretended to think "Hmmm... This way I would have been sure you are human."

Everyone laughed. Edward ignored them. "And did you want me to be human?"

I looked thoughtful again. "Nah!"

Dad laughed to a point he was beet red in his face.

"Thanks Bells; that is what I needed now."

"Glad to see you okay again, Daddy." Mom and I smiled at him as he smiled back at us. Edward was happy, to see how close we all were.

**"Slide three?" I held out my hand without looking at him. He handed it to me; it seemed like he was being careful not to touch my skin again. I took the most fleeting look I could manage.**

**"Interphase." I passed him the microscope before he could ask for it. He took a swift peek, and then wrote it down. I would have written it while he looked, but his clear, elegant script intimidated me. I didn't want to spoil the page with my clumsy scrawl.**

**We were finished before anyone else was close. I could see Mike and his partner comparing two slides again and again, and another group had their book open under the table.**

**Which left me with nothing to do but try to not look at him. … unsuccessfully. I glanced up, and he was staring at me, that same inexplicable look of frustration in his eyes. Suddenly I identified that subtle difference in his face.**

**"Did you get contacts?" I blurted out unthinkingly.**

"So you did notice," Jasper remarked. He was becoming a little worried. He hadn't thought it would be possible for a human to notice that much, they were going to have to be more careful from now on. He was realising I wasn't the only perceptive human we would be meeting over the years.

"Only because I was looking directly into his eyes and I remembered them very clearly because of the death glare he was giving me last time." He nodded and smiled at his little sister. I smiled right back at him brightly.

**He seemed puzzled by my unexpected question. "No."**

**"Oh," I mumbled. "I thought there was something different about your eyes."**

**He shrugged, and looked away.**

**In fact, I was sure there was something different. I vividly remembered the flat black colour of his eyes the last time he'd glared at me — the colour was striking against the background of his pale skin and his auburn hair. Today, his eyes were a completely different colour: strange ochre, darker than butterscotch, but with the same golden tone. I didn't understand how that could be, unless he was lying for some reason about the contacts. Or maybe Forks was making me crazy in the literal sense of the word.**

Charlie looked at the colour of Edward's eyes. Ochre wasn't exactly the word he would have used, it was darker, almost brown, but yet it was still somehow gold As he looked around, he realised that all of the Cullens had similar eyes, though the tones varied between butterscotch and black.

"It's okay Dad, Not all of us not all of us are perceptive like me or have a super-hearing." He nodded at my explanations, and smiled at me in thanks. I could tell he was calmer now.

**I looked down. His hands were clenched into hard fists again. Mr Banner came to our table then, to see why we weren't working. He looked over our shoulders to glance at the completed lab, and then stared more intently to check the answers.**

**"So, Edward, didn't you think Isabella should get a chance with the microscope?" Mr Banner asked.**

Charlie looked annoyed. "Did he think you wouldn't know the answers?" I grinned at my father.

**"Bella," Edward corrected automatically. "Actually, she identified three of the five."**

**Mr Banner looked at me now; his expression was sceptical.**

Charlie huffed, as I smiled at him.

**"Have you done this lab before?" he asked.**

**I smiled sheepishly. "Not with onion root."**

**"Whitefish blastula?"**

**"Yeah."**

**Mr Banner nodded. "Were you in an advanced placement program in Phoenix?"**

**"Yes."**

**"Well," he said after a moment, "I guess it's good you two are lab partners." He mumbled something else as he walked away. After he left, I began doodling on my notebook again.**

**"It's too bad about the snow, isn't it?" Edward asked.**

"What did he say?" Edward said grimly.

"So other students have a chance to shine and learn too." Dad was shocked that a teacher would even mutter something like that about one of their students.

**I had the feeling that he was forcing himself to make small talk with me. Paranoia swept over me again. It was like he had heard my conversation with Jessica at lunch and was trying to prove me wrong.**

Edward grinned at my statement. Charlie looked at him and wondered if it was possible he really heard them. But hadn't Bella said he sat at the other side of the cafeteria? _Must be another vampire thing. _

"I did but tried not to. It is hard to do if you hear a person's thoughts screaming at you." He said visibly shuddering. Dad nodded at him.

**"Not really," I answered honestly, instead of pretending to be normal like everyone else. I was still trying to dislodge the stupid feeling of suspicion, and I couldn't concentrate.**

**"You don't like the cold." It wasn't a question.**

**"Or the wet."**

**"Forks must be a difficult place for you to live," he mused.**

**"You have no idea," I muttered darkly.**

**He looked fascinated by what I said, for some reason I couldn't imagine. His face was such a distraction that I tried not to look at it any more than courtesy absolutely demanded.**

**"Why did you come here, then?"**

**No one had asked me that — not straight out like he did, demanding.**

"Edward!" Esme chided gently. Edward looked sheepish. I laid my head against his shoulder making sure my neck was visible, which I could tell shocked everyone else.

"I had already decided I wouldn't talk to her again. So I tried to find out as much about her as possible, knowing she would be polite enough to answer as long as I was rude enough to ask."

"Why didn't you want to talk to her again?" Charlie demanded.

"I'd already talked to her more than I had ever talked to any other student. We make sure not to get attached. It's as painful as it is dangerous." Edward answered sadly. It was true. Constant moving was hard enough as it was, making friends just to say them final goodbye a few years later, would have made things much worse. I buried my head further into Edward's shoulder as he held me closer.

**"It's… complicated."**

**"I think I can keep up," he pressed.**

**I paused for a long moment, and then made the mistake of meeting his gaze. His dark gold eyes confused me, and I answered without **

**thinking.**

**"My mother got remarried," I said.**

**"That doesn't sound so complex," he disagreed, but he was suddenly sympathetic.**

**"When did that happen?"**

**"Last September." My voice sounded sad, even to me.**

**"And you don't like him," Edward surmised, his tone still kind.**

**"No, Phil is fine. Too young, maybe, but nice enough."**

**"Why didn't you stay with them?"**

**I couldn't fathom his interest, but he continued to stare at me with penetrating eyes, as if my dull life's story was somehow vitally important.**

**"Phil travels a lot. He plays ball for a living." I half-smiled.**

"One of the reasons I like this guy," Charlie smiled. He had met Phil only briefly, but he had grown quite a fond of him. Not only did he take care of Renee he also clearly loved me and he was all-around nice guy. Phil and Mom smiled at him.

**"Have I heard of him?" he asked, smiling in response.**

**"Probably not. He doesn't play **_**well**_**. Strictly minor league. He moves around a lot."**

**"And your mother sent you here so that she could travel with him." He said it as an assumption again, not a question.**

"I was trying to figure you out, but I wasn't doing very good job at that." I shook my head and smiled at him.

**My chin raised a fraction." No, she did not send me here. I sent myself."**

**His eyebrows knit together. "I don't understand," he admitted, and he seemed unnecessarily frustrated by that fact.**

"You have no idea," Edward muttered. looking frustrated again just by the memory of it.

**I sighed. Why was I explaining this to him? He continued to stare at me with obvious curiosity.**

**"She stayed with me at first, but she missed him. It made her unhappy… so I decided it was time to spend some quality time with Charlie." My voice was glum by the time I finished.**

**"But now you're unhappy," he pointed out.**

**"And?" I challenged.**

Most of the room laughed or rolled their eyes.

"How very Bella," Jasper said as my family nodded their heads in agreement.

Leah was deep in thought, trying to comprehend what she had heard. She had always thought me to be a rather selfish person, playing with boys' feelings, constantly putting people around her in danger and causing them distress. Leah looked at me and smiled gently, as I smiled shyly back at her.

**"That doesn't seem fair." He shrugged, but his eyes were still intense.**

**I laughed without humour. "Hasn't anyone ever told you? Life isn't fair."**

**"I believe I have heard that somewhere before," he agreed dryly.**

"Yeah, I may have," Edward remarked in a similar tone he'd used in the book. Everyone snorted. They all knew about life's unfairness.

**"So that's all," I insisted, wondering why he was still staring at me that way.**

**His gaze became appraising. "You put on a good show," he said slowly. "But I'd be willing to bet that you're suffering more than you let anyone see."**

**I grimaced at him, resisting the impulse to stick out my tongue like a five-year-old, and looked away.**

Emmett laughed. "You should have."

So I did just that, that one small action had my mom, dad and Phil in fits of laughter. It took them quite a few minutes to calm down despite Jasper's best efforts to speed things along.

**"Am I wrong?"**

**I tried to ignore him.**

**"I didn't think so," he murmured smugly.**

**"Why does it matter to you?" I asked, irritated. I kept my eyes away, watching the teacher make his rounds.**

**"That's a very good question," he muttered, so quietly that I wondered if he was talking to himself.**

Edward nodded. "I didn't expect you to hear that." I looked at him sheepishly.

**However, after a few seconds of silence, I decided that was the only answer I was going to get. I sighed, scowling at the blackboard.**

**"Am I annoying you?" he asked. He sounded amused.**

**I glanced at him without thinking… and told the truth again." Not exactly. I'm more annoyed at myself. My face is so easy to read — my mother always calls me her open book." I frowned.**

**"On the contrary, I find you very difficult to read." Despite everything that I'd said and he'd guessed, he sounded like he meant it.**

"Oh he did!" Emmett laughed. "You have no idea how frustrated he was with it. Thought he was losing his touch."

I grinned at his response.

**"You must be a good reader then," I replied.**

**"Usually." He smiled widely, flashing a set of perfect, ultra white teeth.**

Charlie narrowed his eyes. Everyone was hinting at something. He was beginning to suspect that Edward was better at reading people than humanly possible. Not that there was anything human about the guy. He glanced at him to see if he had reacted to his suspicions, but he seemed to be completely preoccupied with the strand of Bella's hair he was playing with. Jasper, on the other hand was glancing between them and trying to hide a smirk. Huh, weird. Bella smiled at him, to calm him.

**Mr Banner called the class to order then, and I turned with relief to listen. I was in disbelief that I'd just explained my dreary life to this bizarre, beautiful boy who may or may not despise me. He'd seemed engrossed in our conversation, but now I could see, from the corner of my eye, that he was leaning away from me again, his hands gripping the edge of the table with unmistakable tension.**

"Listening to you talk was enthralling enough to keep my mind away from your smell." Edward murmured too softly for the humans to hear. I kept trailing my hand down his tense jaw whispering.

"It's okay Edward I know now and I understand." He looked down in shock of my hearing him as did Carlisle.

**I tried to appear attentive as Mr Banner illustrated, with transparencies on the overhead projector, what I had seen without difficulty through the microscope. But my thoughts were unmanageable. When the bell finally rang, Edward rushed as swiftly and as gracefully from the room as he had last Monday. And, like last Monday, I stared after him in amazement. Mike skipped quickly to my side and picked up my books for me. I imagined him with a wagging tail.**

Everyone erupted into laughter. Jacob was actually rolling around at the floor, gasping.

"Retriever... wagging... tale... Hah!"

Charlie was also laughing, but looking at Jacob talking about 'tails' did reduce his amusement a little. I was still pissed at Jake so I just glared at him, once again annoyed that he was laughing at my expense.

**"That was awful," he groaned. "They all looked exactly the same. You're lucky you had Cullen for a partner."**

"Why, this insolent boy," Charlie growled. his amusement forgotten. He was still very angry with Mike.

**"I didn't have any trouble with it,"**

"You tell him!"

**I said, stung by his assumption. I regretted the snub instantly. "I've done the lab before, though," I added before he could get his feelings hurt.**

**"Cullen seemed friendly enough today," he commented as we shrugged into our raincoats. He didn't seem pleased about it.**

"Of course." Edward grinned. Some of the Mike's thoughts had been rather murderous at the time. He would have liked to see him try anything though. Or maybe not. It was hard enough not to shove him into toilet seat as it was.

**I tried to sound indifferent. "I wonder what was with him last Monday."**

**I couldn't concentrate on Mike's chatter as we walked to Gym, and PE. didn't do much to hold my attention, either. Mike was on my team today. He chivalrously covered my position as well as his own, so my wool-gathering was only interrupted when it was my turn to serve; my team ducked warily out of the way every time I was up.**

Leah and I giggled in a fit now. How ridiculous it sounded now. Edward, Dad and Harry looked at each other in shock, seeing their girls so close this quickly. Everyone else was clearly shocked at how easy it was for us to become friends considering who we were in the room with. Glancing at them I sighed knowing I'd have to put them straight.

"Lee, I remember, remember when I dipped Jacob's head into the mud when I was here one summer?!" She just laughed louder and I gasped for air, as Dad shoved my head down between my legs, I tried not to panic to the point where I'd lose my breathing ability completely. Leah held my wrist like Sue; her mother had taught her to do to take pulse. She was horrified of my fast heart rate. She gasped.

"It's okay Lee my heart rate is always that fast. Always been, don't know why but it is." She just shook her head, and told Sue what rate my heart was beating. She was gaping as she asked.

"Did they ever test it?" I smiled at her.

"Ever since I was 8 they did regularly, but nothing found, no hole or diseases." Edward was horrified, as he pulled me closer to his body. I could tell he was feeling helpless.

**The rain was just a mist as I walked to the parking lot, but I was happier when I was in the dry cab. I got the heater running, for once not caring about the mind-numbing roar of the engine. I unzipped my jacket, put the hood down, and fluffed my damp hair out so the heater could dry it on the way home.**

**I looked around me to make sure it was clear. That's when I noticed the still, white figure. Edward Cullen was leaning against the front door of the Volvo, three cars down from me, and staring intently in my direction. I swiftly looked away and threw the truck into reverse, almost hitting a rusty Toyota Corolla in my haste.**

"Bella," Charlie cautioned shaking his head, I knew he was disappointed. He was a cop, after all. I had a grace to look properly ashamed. "Sorry dad. That was stupid of me. At least nothing happened_." For now at least._ I suddenly remembered that incident with Tyler should be happening next day. I hoped Charlie wouldn't be too upset when he realised how closely she had escaped death. On the other hand, this would make him behave better toward Edward.

**Lucky for the Toyota, I stomped on the brake in time. It was just the sort of car that my truck would make scrap metal of.**

Emmett laughed. "You're right, The Thing is about as enduring as your usual tank." I smirked.

**I took a deep breath, still looking out the other side of my car, and cautiously pulled out again, with greater success. I stared straight ahead as I passed the Volvo, but from a peripheral peek, I would swear I saw him laughing.**

Rosalie closed the book. "That was the end of this chapter, and it's nearly midnight."

I glanced at the clock, swearing under my breath obviously not quietly enough as my mother heard me.

""Bella, language!" Everyone looked shocked that I could swear, Edward smiled, as he noticed it too.

"Dinner's ready!" Esme called out, as all gathered in the kitchen to grab a plate.


	3. Phenomenon & Talk With Tanya

**Title:** Reading Twilight

**Author:** Bella Katelyn

**Rating:** M

**Summary:** The Cullens, Bella, Denali's, Wolfpack, Renee & Phil, Charlie, Billy, Harry and Sue sit down to read The Twilight Saga. How will Charlie react when he realises Vampires and Werewolves really exist. Will Renee Understand. How will the pack react to the REAL reason why The Cullens may leave? (Originally Written By MagicAndDemons4Ever) Consent has been given to write this as she is unable to continue.

**Disclaimer:** Twilight and its characters belong to author Stephanie Meyer, and are brought to the fandom by Summit Entertainment. I'm just borrowing the characters for my own enjoyment and hopefully yours. With that said I hope you enjoy this story as much as I'm going to enjoy writing it.

* * *

**Chapter Three **

**Phenomenon & Talk With Tanya**

**"Phenomenon," **Emmett read.

**When I opened my eyes in the morning, something was different.**

"Maybe it's light outside instead of cloudy." Emmett asked sounding confused. Of course this had everyone laughing at him, something he hated, just to prove a point he sat there pouting like a two year old as everyone glared at him.

**It was the light.**

"I told you so" Emmett said looking smug, yet still sounding like a petulant child.

It said 'it was light' not 'it was the light' Emmett" Edward said exasperated, pinching the bridge of his nose as Emmett started to read again, I could tell by the way he sat he was still sulking. I couldn't stop myself from giggling at the look on his face, covering my mouth I buried my head into Edward's chest desperately trying to gain control over myself.

**It was still the grey/green light of a cloudy day in the forest, but it was clearer somehow. I realized there was no fog veiling my window.**

**I jumped up to look outside,**

Yay, it's snowing" Alice said starting to bounce up and down on Jasper's lap.

"The poor girl won't like that too much" Esme said. I smiled shaking my head at her words. How right she was, although it was starting to grow on me. Now I was used to the cold. The angel holding me close to his chest had definitely changed my outlook on all things cold. Resting my head against his chest I breathed in his scent sighing as it started to calm me down. Now I loved the snow, the way it came to rest in my hair, as angels tears.

**and then groaned in horror.**

Esme smiled when she heard that she was indeed right in her observations. Of course they all started to laugh as I glared at each and every one of them, as if this wasn't hard enough on me without them making fun out of it.

**A fine layer of snow covered the yard, dusted the top of my truck, and whitened the road. But that wasn't the worst part. All the rain from yesterday had frozen solid — coating the needles on the trees in fantastic, gorgeous patterns, and making the driveway a deadly ice slick. I had enough trouble not falling down when the ground was dry; it might be safer for me to go back to bed now.**

"Ha, I can't wait to see how many times she falls." Emmett said.

"I don't like the sound of this" Edward said worried while I smiled at his over protectiveness which was already so strong despite the fact that we hadn't been mated for very long. I could Eleazar was also taken aback by the strength of our union.

**Charlie had left for work before I got downstairs. In a lot of ways, living with Charlie was like having my own place, and I found myself revealing in the aloneness instead of being lonely.**

This girl is quite different. Normally teens don't like being alone." Carlisle thought out loud as everyone seemed to be nodding in agreement. I just sighed, and laid my head down onto Edward's shoulder feeling a little sleepy although there was no way I would admit it.

**I threw down a quick bowl of cereal and some orange juice from the carton. I felt excited to go to school, and that scared me.**

"Ha, bet it has something to do with Edward." Jasper said.

"Yeah, I agree, why else would she feel exited?" Emmett asked and everyone rolled their eyes, everyone except Edward who was glaring at his brothers yet I could tell deep down my revelation made him feel incredibly happy. Maybe these books weren't such a bad thing after al at least now he would be able to see inside my head. Something I knew he'd been wanting for a long time.

**I knew it wasn't the stimulating learning environment I was anticipating, or seeing my new set of friends. If I was being honest with myself, I knew I was eager to get to school because I would see Edward Cullen. And that was very, very stupid.**

"It definitely is she shouldn't have been interested in me. I'm dangerous." Edward mumbled.

"Oh come on son, you're the nicest man in the world." Esme said smiling at her first reborn and youngest son. I glared at him, feeling upset that he would even think such a thing, I could tell he had seen in my eyes how upset I was as he backed off surrendering.

"They were my thoughts back then, love." I softened my facial expression leaning up to kiss his lips passionately.

**I should be avoiding him entirely after my brainless and embarrassing babbling yesterday. And I was suspicious of him; why should he lie about his eyes?**

"Because I don't plan on telling you that I'm a vampire" Edward said as everyone else chuckled.

**I was still frightened of the hostility I sometimes felt emanating from him, and I was still tongue-tied whenever I pictured his perfect face.**

"His perfect face? Ha, she's crushing on you majorly." Jacob said snidely making Edward snap as he slapped the back of his head all you heard was an almighty thwack. I glared at Jacob, hating him more and more.

**I was well aware that my league and his league were spheres that did not touch.**

"Aww, she thinks you're too much for her." Jacob continued grating on my last nerve.

"Shut up, and she's wrong, she's perfect for me." Edward said frowning at the book in Emmett's hand.

"Edward, you are a wonderful guy, stop thinking stuff like that." Esme said as Edward shrugged still not agreeing with her. I just kissed him, while glaring at Jacob for being a total moronic dog.

**So I shouldn't be at all anxious to see him today.**

"She definitely shouldn't." Edward added interrupting Emmett once again. I gave Rose a pleading look as she slapped him upside the head making him wince in pain. I think she may have hit him a little too hard.

Ow, what did you do that for?" Jacob laughed at him as I gave him the coldest glare I'd ever given anyone before taking a deep breath before I spoke trying to gain control over my emotions.

"Edward, I was and should be like that, I am your mate and I loved you already then, even if I didn't admit it at first. He smiled at me, gazing into my eyes, the shock was evident on his face, as I looked around the room I noticed everyone else had similar expressions on their faces.

**It took every ounce of my concentration to make it down the icy brick driveway alive. I almost lost my balance when I finally got to the truck, but I managed to cling to the side mirror and save myself.**

"Ha, that's already one fall" Emmett said pretending to make an invisible check mark. I glared at him.

**Clearly, today was going to be nightmarish.**

I have a feeling this will be bad." Edward said looking worried.

"But, you have to admit, it's pretty funny" Emmett said as we all ignored him. I glared once more at him, laughing as he cowered into Rose's back. She giggled and high-fived me.

**Driving to school, I distracted myself from my fear of falling and my unwanted speculations about Edward Cullen by thinking about Mike and Eric,**

Wow, she has to go as low as to think about them to get you off her mind." Emmett said shaking his head sadly.

"Shut up!" Edward said hitting him again. I glared at Emmett, but giggled from my seat on Edward's lap remembering the look on his face as Rosalie took him by surprise by smacking him across the back of his head. He drew me closer to his body reaching down for my wrist bringing it up to his nose as he inhaled my scent, shocking everyone with his ability to stay in control. I smiled feeling his tense body relax. He was calm again.

**and the obvious difference in how teenage boys responded to me here. I was sure I looked exactly the same as I had in Phoenix. Maybe it was just that the boys back home had watched me pass slowly through all the awkward phases of adolescence and still thought of me that way. Perhaps it was because I was a novelty here, where novelties were few and far between. **

"That might be it" Jasper said nodding. I nodded in agreement and slight annoyance at how childish my brothers were becoming.

**Possibly my crippling clumsiness was seen as endearing rather than pathetic, casting me as a damsel in distress.**

"And maybe that might be it too" Emmett said laughing. I glared again, as Esme flung her wooden spoon at the back of Emmett's head I couldn't stop the laugher from bubbling to the surface as the wood split down the middle as it felt to the floor with a clatter, the look on his face was priceless, I almost wished I had a camera.

**Whatever the reason, Mike's puppy dog behaviour and Eric's apparent rivalry with him were disconcerting. I wasn't sure if I didn't prefer being ignored.**

Jacob glared at me as I realised I couldn't hold back anymore, Not everyone liked to be in the spotlight and it was about time he and everyone else apart from Edward that was realised it.

"I prefer to be ignored rather than be stared at constantly, when this happens I feel like an animal on show at the zoo or even worse one of those celebs you see being hounded by cameras." I threw my hands up to everyone's surprise, after all they've never seen me act this way before, and Edward pulled me back onto his lip kissing me passionately.

**My truck seemed to have no problem with the black ice that covered the roads. I drove very slowly, though, not wanting to carve a path of destruction through Main Street.**

"Now that would be quite a sight" Jasper said chuckling while Emmett's laugher echoed around the living room. I couldn't stop myself from laughing this time, it was extremely contagious.

**When I got out of my truck at school, I saw why I'd had so little trouble. Something silver caught my eye,**

"Snow chains," everyone asked. I smiled looking over at my dad who looked at me, I could tell he remembered this well, I never did get a chance to thank him properly for them, sliding off Edward's lap once more I ran over to Charlie sitting in his lap as he pulled me close. Everyone but Edward looked at us in confusion as to why I'd reacted this way, turning to my left I smiled seeing Edward had automatically moved toward us, sitting close so our knees were touching.

**and I walked to the back of the truck — carefully holding the side for support — to examine my tires.**

As I listened to my thoughts, I wrapped my arms around my dad's waist nuzzling my head into his chest as I relaxed holding on tight to Edward's hand at the same time. For the first time since we had started to read the books I felt completely relaxed.

**There were thin chains crisscrossed in diamond shapes around them. Charlie had gotten up who knows how early to put snow chains on my truck. My throat suddenly felt tight. I wasn't used to being taken care of, and Charlie's unspoken concern caught me by surprise.**

Esme smiled warmly at the small display of love my father had given me this day, I knew the hard part was still to come, however I hoped that hearing it would be easier than it had been living through it. Looking around the room my focus landed on my mom and Phil who were also smiling at us.

**I was standing by the back corner of the truck, struggling to fight back the sudden wave of emotion the snow chains had brought on, when I heard an odd sound. It was a high-pitched screech, and it was fast becoming painfully loud. I looked up, startled.**

"Great, I don't like this" Edward said his hands tightening around the book; in my haste to get to my father I hadn't noticed Emmett had handed him the book. Not that I minded, I'd rather Edward read than anyone else, although something told me that wouldn't last for very long. It was inevitable that someone else would want to read.

"Edward, give me the book, you're going to break it." Alice said looking concerned.

"Fine" Edward said knowing very well that he would break it. I held the hand I was holding tighter, hoping to give him the reassurance he desperately needed right now.

**I saw several things simultaneously. Nothing was moving in slow motion, the way it does in the movies. Instead, the adrenaline rush seemed to make my brain work much faster, and I was able to absorb in clear detail several things at once.**

"Adrenaline rushes seem to do that to you," Carlisle said as Alice continued to read.

**Edward Cullen was standing four cars down from me, staring at me in horror. His face stood out from a sea of faces, all frozen in the same mask of shock.**

"Aww, your face stands out." Emmett said however everyone was ignoring him as they were all gasping in shock at what they were hearing I could feel my Dad sobbing, realising just how close he was to losing me that day.

**But of more immediate importance was the dark blue van that was skidding, tires locked and squealing against the brakes, spinning wildly across the ice of the parking lot. It was going to hit the back corner of my truck, and I was standing between them. I didn't even have time to close my eyes.**

"NO!" my Mom yelled at the same time Phil had, however she remembered that I was alive and smiled at Edward, showing her thanks silently. I could tell she and Charlie were definitely warming up to Edward the more they heard. However I could still feel the tension in the air and somehow I didn't think the wolves would have the same reaction.

**Just before I heard the shattering crunch of the van folding around the truck bed, something hit me, hard, but not from the direction I was expecting.**

"Who or what was that?" Jacob yelled becoming even more hostile that he already was. Glaring at him I tried desperately not to throw something at him deciding instead to become the bigger person answering him as politely as I could force out.

"Who do you think, Jacob?" He just glared at me.

"Let me guess, the _leech._" I gasped, as my Dad yelled at him, I realised I was back in Edward's arms as he held me close to his chest as I finally let loose and allowed myself to cry. Why did he have to be so mean to Edward? I know he doesn't approve but he could still be civil, if the tables were reversed, I would still be nice although there had never been any feelings toward Jacob he was definitely making sure that I would never want to stay friends with him after these books were done.

"Lay off, Jacob. She is not yours and she never will be. Look at her now, you did this!" my dad touched my cheek as Edward rocked me gently trying to soothe me. I inhaled his scent once more beginning to calm slightly at the sunshine and honey scent allowing the tears to fall as I sobbed into Edward's shirt. Esme, Mom, Sue, Leah and Sam was glaring at Jacob, I didn't know what they were thinking but I knew it couldn't be anything Edward could tell me out loud.

**My head cracked against the icy blacktop,**

"Edward, you have to be more careful" Carlisle scolded, although I could tell he was proud of his son for saving me that day. Despite it all even Rosalie seemed to be changing her mind on the events of that day. They may all have super human hearing yet none of them could really understand what was going on as Edward pulled me to safety.

"Sorry, Love!" I ran my hand down his cheek, trying to gain control over my tears as I began to speak through my sobs. "It is ok now, Edward! I love you so much." He glanced down at me his golden eyes shining with love and affection as he bent down moulding his lips to mine as we got lost in each other passionately kissing; completely forgetting we had company watching.

**and I felt something solid and cold pinning me to the ground.**

"Definitely Edward," Emmett said and everyone snickered. I sighed, glaring at him again. Payback's a bitch, I would get him back for teasing me and the best part; he wouldn't see it coming.

**I was lying on the pavement behind the tan car I'd parked next to. But I didn't have a chance to notice anything else, because the van was still coming. It had curled gratingly around the end of the truck and, still spinning and sliding, was about to collide with me again.**

"Are you kidding me?!" Leah yelled, as Edward nodded, letting her know that is how close I was to being killed that day. I could tell she was in shock, I didn't think it was possible for everyone to be quiet at once, it was unnerving.

**A low oath made me aware that someone was with me, and the voice was impossible not to recognize.**

"Edward, how dare you curse in front of a lady?" Esme scolded as Edward frowned. "I don't think I was paying attention to my words in that moment mom, I'm sorry." Taking Edward's face in my hands I smiled at him kissing the tip of his node before speaking.

"It's okay now babe." He smiled visibly relaxing, from the corner of my eye I could see Esme smiling at us. She truly was a loving mother, only wanting the best for her children.

**Two long, white hands shot out protectively in front of me, and the van shuddered to a stop a foot from my face, the large hands fitting providentially into a deep dent in the side of the van's body.**

"Idiot!" Jacob yelled as Edward tried to stand up, before relaxing once again as I rested my hand onto his chest. I still found it amazing that I could make him calm down so quickly. But as I looked back over everything I realised he did the same thing with me.

"Edward it's not worth it now, love. Please calm down. . You can yell or hit him later. He smiled at my logic as I continued to run my hand down his jawline smiling as he relaxed into my shoulder nuzzling his head into my hair.

**Then his hands moved so fast they blurred. One was suddenly gripping under the body of the van, and something was dragging me, swinging my legs around like a ragdoll's, till they hit the tire of the tan car. A groaning metallic thud hurt my ears, and the van settled, glass popping, onto the asphalt — exactly where, a second ago, my legs had been.**

Edward was tensed up again, the tension leaving his body quite quickly as I trailed my hand back up his jawline, wanting very much so for us to be locked away in his bedroom, although I knew now was not the time to be thinking about _those _types of things.

**It was absolutely silent for one long second before the screaming began. In the abrupt bedlam, I could hear more than one person shouting my name. But more clearly than all the yelling, I could hear Edward Cullen's low, frantic voice in my ear.**

**"Bella? Are you all right?"**

Huh, wonder why you're so frantic?" Jasper asked.

"Maybe because she could have hit her head." Edward said and he nodded in agreement, his low moan only loud enough for me to hear as I kissed the side of his mouth trailing my tongue around his lips. Mom, Dad and Phil smiled at his protectiveness and love clearly written all over our faces. My mom suddenly spoke bringing me out of my Edward haze.

"Edward, when that car came towards Bella, what were your thoughts?"

"Not her, Not my Bella please!" he muttered quietly, although I still heard, unable to stop myself from gasping out loud, attacking him with hugs and kisses. Everyone was of course once again shocked by my reaction, I wished they would stop it's not like they didn't know how much I loved Edward. Tears began to fall again although this time, they were happy tears, amazed that Edward already thought of me this way despite not knowing what he was feeling.

**"I'm fine." My voice sounded strange. I tried to sit up, and realized he was holding me against the side of his body in an iron grasp.**

**"Be careful," he warned as I struggled. "I think you hit your head pretty hard."**

Wow, Edward, that was so lame" Emmett said while Edward grinned, still dazed of my sudden attack, as I grasped his hand hard.

**I became aware of a throbbing ache centred above my left ear.**

"It could have worked, but you know how you are, love" Edward said. I smiled still in a daze myself. Suddenly I realised these books were doing everything I'd always hoped for, Edward was relaxing, finally seeing that he wasn't taking anything away from him.

**"Ow," I said, surprised.**

**"That's what I thought." His voice, amazingly, sounded like he was suppressing laughter.**

**"How in the…" I trailed off, trying to clear my head, get my bearings. "How did you get over here so fast?"**

"Sorry, Rose, you probably thought "We have to move now!" I said softly. She looked at me completely shocked and I knew I'd hit the nail on the head.

"How the hell did you know that?" I smiled at her, as everyone else was still in shock that my guess had been correct.

"You are protective of your family, it's one of the first things I realised about you, it's also where I belong now, I understand you were concerned, once again if the tables had been reversed and I was in your position I probably would have felt the same way. As you've probably guessed I babble when I'm nervous. I'd already decided not to say anything, even before I spoke to him at the hospital." Rose was shocked by my revelations as she stood up gracefully, pulling me into a hug saying thank you over and over again. The sudden movement left me dazed and it wasn't long before we were both settled on our mates' laps once again.

**"I was standing right next to you, Bella," he said, his tone serious again.**

**I turned to sit up, and this time he let me, releasing his hold around my waist and sliding as far from me as he could in the limited space. I looked at his concerned, innocent expression and was disoriented again by the force of his gold-coloured eyes.**

**What was I asking him?**

"Ha, just has to look at her anytime she comes up to him and she'll forget everything she was about to ask." Emmett said, as I glared at him for Edward had promised not to dazzle me anymore, even if it was a dangerous area or something he had to do. He'd promised me after Phoenix as he held me close; he smiled knowing exactly what I was thinking by the look on my face, leaning down his lips touched mine as we kissed passionately.

**And then they found us, a crowd of people with tears streaming down their faces, shouting at each other, shouting at us.**

**"Don't move," someone instructed.**

**"Get Tyler out of the van!" someone else shouted.**

**There was a flurry of activity around us. I tried to get up, but Edward's cold hand pushed my shoulder down.**

**"Just stay put for now."**

**"But it's cold," I complained.**

"Wow." Emmett said incredulously as everyone nodded.

"It was cold then, Em, and it doesn't matter now." Edward smiled at me.

**It surprised me when he chuckled under his breath. There was an edge to the sound.**

"Must be thinking the same thing." Edward said.

**"You were over there," I suddenly remembered, and his chuckle stopped short. "You were by your car."**

**His expression turned hard. "No, I wasn't."**

**"I saw you." All around us was chaos. I could hear the gruffer voices of adults arriving on the scene. But I obstinately held on to our argument; I was right, and he was going to admit it.**

"She is so stubborn." Rose hissed.

"Just like Eddie." Emmett added and Edward growled, I knew he hated that nickname. I rubbed his jawline gently hoping it would calm him down, which thankfully it did. My Mom, Dad and Phil were staring at Edward, as they saw how calm he became by my touch.

**"Bella, I was standing with you, and I pulled you out of the way." He unleashed the full, devastating power of his eyes on me, as if trying to communicate something crucial.**

"Hey, try seducing her into believing you" Emmett laughed as Edward shook his head.

"Are you sure the whole transformation went well?" Edward asked Carlisle and everyone laughed while Emmett glared at my mate. I couldn't help but giggle, I'd often thought the same thing although I'd never come out and asked him.

"Transformation?" my mom asked. I looked over at Edward and Carlisle getting their permission before telling my mom everything involved in the three day transformation.

"It takes 3 days to become a vampire, mom. I know the feeling, the tracker, James bit me, if it weren't for Edward sucking the venom out of my scar I'd already be like him, that of course is my wish but Edward is reluctant to change me. But that's a different story completely. I'm sure you noticed it when you visited me in Phoenix."

"I did, I just didn't want to intrude."

I rolled up my right shirt sleeve up showing them all my bite mark. Jacob was shaking in silent anger, as he glared at Edward.

"What did you mean wrong with the transformation?"

"With Emmett, he is a bit childish, but can be serious when it is with family matters or with me. But when you undergo the transformation, your mind, strength and senses involves to a stronger point, that it why I think it might been a trait he carried on nothing wrong with it." I stated blushing beet red

"How the heck did you know this?" Carlisle asked looking shocked. I blushed deeper, as I said in small voice.

"I found a book in your library, describing the transformation and I was curious so I read it."

He laughed and ruffled my hair.

"It's okay Bella, I knew someone had been reading it until now not who." I smiled widely, as Edward kissed me.

**"No." I set my jaw.**

**The gold in his eyes blazed. "Please, Bella."**

**"Why?" I demanded.**

**"Trust me," he pleaded, his soft voice overwhelming.**

**I could hear the sirens now. "Will you promise to explain everything to me later?"**

**"Fine," he snapped, abruptly exasperated.**

**"Fine," I repeated angrily.**

**It took six EMTs and two teachers — Mr Varner and Coach Clapp — to shift the van far enough away from us to bring the stretchers in. Edward vehemently refused his, and I tried to do the same, but the traitor told them I'd hit my head and probably had a concussion.**

"Wow, you're so mean." Alice said, as I sighed, the one thing I hated was hospitals. Not to mention the crippling fear of needles. Add that to shopping and constant attention and Alice should understand why I was being mean. My Mom knew and just smiled gently at me.

**I almost died of humiliation when they put on the neck brace. It looked like the entire school was there, watching soberly as they loaded me in the back of the ambulance. Edward got to ride in the front. It was maddening. To make matters worse, Chief Swan arrived before they could get me safely away.**

**"Bella!" he yelled in panic when he recognized me on the stretcher. **

**"I'm completely fine, Char — Dad," I sighed. "There's nothing wrong with me."**

Dad smiled at this; for he knew then he was in police mode, not dad-mode. But also scared that I had been hurt or killed even, so I squeezed his hand gently reassuring him.

**He turned to the closest EMT for a second opinion. I tuned him out to consider the jumble of inexplicable images churning chaotically in my head. When they'd lifted me away from the car, I had seen the deep dent in the tan car's bumper — a very distinct dent that fit the contours of Edward's shoulders… as if he had braced himself against the car with enough force to damage the metal frame…**

**And then there was his family, looking on from the distance, with expressions that ranged from disapproval to fury, but held no hint of concern for their brother's safety.**

"Sorry, Bella." Rose said, as I waved it off smiling at her.

**I tried to think of a logical solution that could explain what I had just seen — a solution that excluded the assumption that I was insane. **

"Poor girl thinks she's crazy" Esme said.

"She is crazy… about Edward" Emmett laughed, me and Edward shot him death glares.

**Naturally, the ambulance got a police escort to the county hospital. I felt ridiculous the whole time they were unloading me. What made it worse was that Edward simply glided through the hospital doors under his own power. I ground my teeth together.**

"Whoa, you were really pissed, Bells." Dad said, as I smiled widely at him.

**They put me in the emergency room, a long room with a line of beds separated by pastel-patterned curtains. A nurse put a pressure cuff on my arm and a thermometer under my tongue. Since no one bothered pulling the curtain around to give me some privacy, I decided I wasn't obligated to wear the stupid-looking neck brace anymore.**

"Bella!" everyone yelled at the same time. I quickly buried my head into Edward's chest feeling embarrassed by my actions, glancing from the corner of my eye I noticed Carlisle looked the most disappointed, I hated to see that look on his face.

**When the nurse walked away, I quickly unfastened the Velcro and threw it under the bed.**

"And now I know where to look for them if I ever run out." Carlisle said and everyone chuckled, as I apologised to Carlisle, thankful that he wasn't too upset with me, hugging me tenderly.

**There was another flurry of hospital personnel, another stretcher brought to the bed next to me. I recognized Tyler Crowley from my Government class beneath the blood stained bandages wrapped tightly around his head. Tyler looked a hundred times worse than I felt. But he was staring anxiously at me.**

**"Bella, I'm so sorry!"**

"Ugh!" Edward held me closely, as my Mom smiled. Of course my Dad was fuming again, muttering curses and plans to scare them off. I yelled, hearing the curse words for myself.

"Dad, please calm down and watch your language." Everyone including my Dad stared at me in shock at my being able to hear what the curse words were considering they were so quiet.

**"I'm fine, Tyler — you look awful, are you all right?" As we spoke, nurses began unwinding his soiled bandages, exposing a myriad of shallow slices all over his forehead and left cheek. **

**He ignored me. "I thought I was going to kill you! I was going too fast, and I hit the ice wrong…" He winced as one nurse started dabbing at his face.**

**"Don't worry about it; you missed me."**

**"How did you get out of the way so fast? You were there, and then you were gone…"**

I sighed in annoyance, and muttered curses under my breath. Carlisle yelled

"Bella language!" my Dad laughed at me this time as I blushed furiously looking down at my hands.

**"Umm… Edward pulled me out of the way." He looked confused. "Who?"**

"He is so stupid to not know who you are." Emmett said, as I cursed again.

**"Edward Cullen — he was standing next to me." I'd always been a terrible liar; I didn't sound convincing at all.**

**"Cullen? I didn't see him… wow, it was all so fast, I guess. Is he okay?"**

"At least someone reacts normally… I wish Bella would have taken in that explanation." Edward said. I smiled at him sheepishly.

**"I think so. He's here somewhere, but they didn't make him use a stretcher."**

**I knew I wasn't crazy. What had happened? There was no way to explain away what I'd seen.**

"Yes there is… one word vampire." Emmett laughed, and everyone laughed. Everyone that was except Jacob and Billy who of course were still pissed off with the situation.

**They wheeled me away then, to X-ray my head. I told them there was nothing wrong, and I was right. Not even a concussion.**

I cursed again, as Edward kissed me to keep me quiet.

**I asked if I could leave, but the nurse said I had to talk to a doctor first. So I was trapped in the ER, waiting, harassed by Tyler's constant apologies and promises to make it up to me. No matter how many times I tried to convince him I was fine, he continued to torment himself. Finally, I closed my eyes and ignored him. He kept up a remorseful mumbling.**

**"Is she sleeping?" a musical voice asked. My eyes flew open.**

"And superman has arrived." This time it was Jasper who joked and everyone laughed at his joking manner, he was more aware and open with himself, so I gave him a huge smile, which he returned with a wink.

**Edward was standing at the foot of my bed, smirking. I glared at him. It wasn't easy — it would have been more natural to ogle.**

Ha, I'd love to see that" Emmett said, as I did it again to show him how I had looked. Of course this caused him to burst into fits of laughter.

**"Hey, Edward, I'm really sorry —"Tyler began.**

**Edward lifted a hand to stop him.**

**"No blood, no foul," he said, flashing his brilliant teeth.**

"Bad pun, Love!" I said shocking them again, as he kissed me.

**He moved to sit on the edge of Tyler's bed, facing me. He smirked again.**

**"So, what's the verdict?" he asked me.**

**"There's nothing wrong with me at all, but they won't let me go," I complained. "How come you aren't strapped to a gurney like the rest of us?"**

**"It's all about who you know," he answered. "But don't worry, I came to spring you."**

**Then a doctor walked around the corner, and my mouth fell open.**

"And here comes the amazing Dr Cullen." Emmett said, Carlisle smiled, as I blushed again.

**He was young, he was blond… and he was handsomer than any movie star I'd ever seen.**

"Why thank you" Carlisle said, I looked down and flushed tomato red at the compliment just as my mom, dad and Phil burst out laughing. Great they thought my embarrassment was hilarious.

**He was pale, though, and tired-looking, with circles under his eyes. From Charlie's description, this had to be Edward's father.**

"Yup" everyone said, as I smiled at _my _vampire sweetheart's father.

**"So, Miss Swan," Dr Cullen said in a remarkably appealing voice, "How are you feeling?"**

**"I'm fine," I said, for the last time, I hoped.**

"Probably not." Edward said, as I sighed deeply.

**He walked to the light board on the wall over my head, and turned it on.**

**"Your X-rays look good," he said. "Does your head hurt? Edward said you hit it pretty hard."**

"That will definitely get on her bad side." Emmett laughed.

**"It's fine," I repeated with a sigh, throwing a quick scowl toward Edward.**

**The doctor's cool fingers probed lightly along my skull. He noticed when I winced.**

**"Tender?" he asked.**

**"Not really." I'd had worse.**

Everyone gasped remembering what I'd told them of my previous brushes with death. I felt Edward pull my closer to his body.

**I heard a chuckle, and looked over to see Edward's patronizing smile. My eyes narrowed.**

**"Well, your father is in the waiting room — you can go home with him now. But come back if you feel dizzy or have trouble with your eyesight at all."**

**"Can't I go back to school?" I asked, imagining Charlie trying to be attentive.**

**"Maybe you should take it easy today."**

**I glanced at Edward. "Does he get to go to school?"**

**"Someone has to spread the good news that we survived," Edward said smugly.**

**"Actually," Dr Cullen corrected, "most of the school seems to be in the waiting room."**

"Everyone must be using the incident as an excuse." Alice said and Emmett smiled.

"Yes, that means no school" he said exited, as I urghed again.

**"Oh no," I moaned, covering my face with my hands.**

**Dr Cullen raised his eyebrows. "Do you want to stay?"**

**"No, no!" I insisted, throwing my legs over the side of the bed and hopping down quickly. Too quickly — I staggered, and Dr Cullen caught me. He looked concerned.**

**"I'm fine," I assured him again. No need to tell him my balance problems had nothing to do with hitting my head.**

Everyone laughed however my Dad just smiled at me.

**"Take some Tylenol for the pain," he suggested as he steadied me.**

**"It doesn't hurt that bad," I insisted.**

**"It sounds like you were extremely lucky," Dr Cullen said, smiling as he signed my chart with a flourish.**

**"Lucky Edward happened to be standing next to me," I amended with a hard glance at the subject of my statement.**

**"Oh, well, yes," Dr Cullen agreed, suddenly occupied with the papers in front of him.**

**Then he looked away, at Tyler, and walked to the next bed. My intuition flickered; the doctor was in on it.**

As I smiled at him, as he was shocked as he realised just how quickly I'd cottoned on to their little plan.

**"I'm afraid that you'll have to stay with us just a little bit longer," he said to Tyler, and began checking his cuts.**

**As soon as the doctor's back was turned, I moved to Edward's side.**

**"Can I talk to you for a minute?" I hissed under my breath. He took a step back from me, his jaw suddenly clenched.**

As I stroked his jaw, for the next part I knew would be hard on both of us, so he grabbed my wrist, gently and inhaled my scent as the next part was read out for all to hear.

**"Your father is waiting for you," he said through his teeth.**

**I glanced at Dr Cullen and Tyler.**

**"I'd like to speak with you alone, if you don't mind," I pressed.**

**He glared, and then turned his back and strode down the long room. I nearly had to run to keep up. As soon as we turned the corner into a short hallway, he spun around to face me.**

**"What do you want?" he asked, sounding annoyed. His eyes were cold.**

"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen" Esme scolded, as he looked down in shame, but still inhaled my scent to calm himself down, much to everyone else's shock.

**His unfriendliness intimidated me. My words came out with less severity than I'd intended. "You owe me an explanation," I reminded him.**

**"I saved your life — I don't owe you anything."**

**I flinched back from the resentment in his voice. "You promised."**

**"Bella, you hit your head, you don't know what you're talking about." His tone was cutting.**

**My temper flared now, and I glared defiantly at him. "There's nothing wrong with my head."**

**He glared back. "What do you want from me, Bella?"**

**"I want to know the truth," I said. "I want to know why I'm lying for you."**

"Oops, that must been hard, Edward. Carmen said, as we both smiled at her and nodded our agreement.

**"What do you think happened?" he snapped.**

**It came out in a rush.**

**"All I know is that you weren't anywhere near me —Tyler didn't see you, either, so don't tell me I hit my head too hard. That van was going to crush us both — and it didn't, and your hands left dents in the side of it — and you left a dent in the other car, and you're not hurt at all — and the van should have smashed my legs, but you were holding it up…" I could hear how crazy it sounded, and I couldn't continue. I was so mad I could feel the tears coming; I tried to force them back by grinding my teeth together.**

**He was staring at me incredulously. But his face was tense, defensive.**

"Wow, Bells, you are truly perspective!" I glared at Jacob's use of my dad's nickname, smiling as my Dad scolded him for using it. It was nice to see Charlie warming up to Edward and seeing Jacob for what he was. A jealous teenager.

"That nickname is mine to call her, not yours Jacob!" He glared to, as Jacob cowered in his seat.

**You think I lifted a van off you?" His tone questioned my sanity, but it only made me more suspicious. It was like a perfectly delivered line by a skilled actor.**

**I merely nodded once, jaw tight.**

**"Nobody will believe that, you know." His voice held an edge of derision now.**

"Admittance, Ed!" Kate said, as I smiled and nodded.

**"I'm not going to tell anybody." I said each word slowly, carefully controlling my anger. Surprise flitted across his face.**

"Yes, I was definitely surprised," Edward said as everyone nodded; I kissed his jawline extremely slowly being rewarded with a low moan for only me to hear.

**"Then why does it matter?"**

**"It matters to me," I insisted. "I don't like to lie — so there'd better be a good reason why I'm doing it."**

**"Can't you just thank me and get over it?"**

"Thank you, Edward, you really saved me!" I said, as he attacked me with kisses which made me start giggling like crazy. Once again everyone was staring at the ability Edward had to control himself considering I was his singer. Everyone except Jacob who was fuming thinking _"she belongs to me, not that leech," _unfortunately for him, instead of thinking it he'd said it out loud, Rose growled at him to lay the stupidity and jealously behind and shove it where the sun don't shine.

**"Thank you." I waited, fuming and expectant.**

**"You're not going to let it go, are you?"**

**"No."**

**"In that case… I hope you enjoy disappointment."**

**We scowled at each other in silence. I was the first to speak, trying to keep myself focused. I was in danger of being distracted by his livid, glorious face. It was like trying to stare down a destroying angel.**

**"Why did you even bother?" I asked frigidly.**

**He paused, and for a brief moment his stunning face was unexpectedly vulnerable.**

**"I don't know," he whispered.**

**And then he turned his back on me and walked away.**

**I was so angry; it took me a few minutes until I could move. When I could walk, I made my way slowly to the exit at the end of the hallway.**

**The waiting room was more unpleasant than I'd feared. It seemed like every face I knew in Forks was there, staring at me. Charlie rushed to my side; I put up my hands.**

**"There's nothing wrong with me," I assured him sullenly. I was still aggravated, not in the mood for chitchat.**

**"What did the doctor say?"**

**"Dr Cullen saw me, and he said I was fine and I could go home." I sighed. Mike and Jessica and Eric were all there, beginning to converge on us. "Let's go," I urged.**

I urghed again, as Edward held me closer.

**Charlie put one arm behind my back, not quite touching me, and led me to the glass doors of the exit. I waved sheepishly at my friends, hoping to convey that they didn't need to worry anymore. It was a huge relief— the first time I'd ever felt that way — to get into the cruiser.**

**We drove in silence. I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I barely knew Charlie was there. I was positive that Edward's defensive behaviour in the hall was a confirmation of the bizarre things I still could hardly believe I'd witnessed.**

**When we got to the house, Charlie finally spoke.**

**"Um… you'll need to call Renée." He hung his head, guilty.**

**I was appalled. "You told Mom!"**

**"Sorry."**

"Bella" my Mom said, as I smiled sadly, and looked at the book for the explanations as to why I didn't want her to know. She just smiled in understanding knowing she could be overbearing at times.

**I slammed the cruiser's door a little harder than necessary on my way out.**

**My mom was in hysterics, of course. I had to tell her I felt fine at least thirty times before she would calm down. She begged me to come home — forgetting the fact that home was empty at the moment — but her pleas were easier to resist than I would have thought. I was consumed by the mystery Edward presented. And more than a little obsessed by Edward himself. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I wasn't as eager to escape Forks as I should be, as any normal, sane person would be.**

Mom smiled so brightly at me. I smiled back and took Edward's hand.

**I decided I might as well go to bed early that night. Charlie continued to watch me anxiously, and it was getting on my nerves. I stopped on my way to grab three Tylenol from the bathroom. They did help, and, as the pain eased, I drifted to sleep.**

**That was the first night I dreamed of Edward Cullen.**

"She dreamt about you!" Alice said and Esme smiled.

"That is so sweet" she said.

"Who wants to read next" Alice asked.

"I do" Eleazar said and took the book out of her hands. Tanya took my hand and led me outside, as all looked in shock or confusion of this happenings.

* * *

******Outside Talking To Tanya********

"Bella the reason why, I brought you out, was I wanted to talk to you about Edward's stay in Denali with us when he then left that first week."

"It's okay. I know bits of it; that you convinced him with Kate and Irina's help to go home and be with his mate."

She sighed and nodded.

And you really are one of kind and you're beautiful, Bella. I will love and protect you now too. You're family." I looked at her gapping, as we walked back inside. Tanya looked at me as she notice everyone was staring at us laughing slightly before she spoke to me.

"Close your mouth, B." Everyone gasped at how well Tanya had accepted me. So I surprized them all, by closing my mouth and hugging her tightly, pulling away from Tanya I ran back into Edward's arms hugging him tightly as all three of us sat down together preparing for the next chapter to be read.

"Chapter 4, Invitations."

I groaned and hung my head down onto the coffee table. Everyone gasped, as my Mum said

"Bella?" I was crying now remembering the pain and everything that happened back then. Edward know only too well everything that happened those few weeks after the Tyler incident. He held me close as I silently cried.


	4. Invitations

**Title:** Reading Twilight

**Author:** Bella Katelyn

**Rating:** M

**Summary:** The Cullens, Bella, Denali's, Wolfpack, Renee & Phil, Charlie, Billy, Harry and Sue sit down to read The Twilight Saga. How will Charlie react when he realises Vampires and Werewolves really exist. Will Renee Understand. How will the pack react to the REAL reason why The Cullens may leave? (Originally Written By MagicAndDemons4Ever) Consent has been given to write this as she is unable to continue.

**Disclaimer:** Twilight and its characters belong to author Stephanie Meyer, and are brought to the fandom by Summit Entertainment. I'm just borrowing the characters for my own enjoyment and hopefully yours. With that said I hope you enjoy this story as much as I'm going to enjoy writing it.

* * *

**Chapter Four**

**"Invitations,"** Eleazar read, as I laid my head into Edward's shoulder, as he held me firmly but gently, as Jasper gasped at true feelings,

**In my dream it was very dark,**

"Ok, so we get to see her dream," Carlisle said. I nodded distantly as Edward stroked my forehead scooping the stray hairs from my eyes. Mom, Dad and Phil looked at me with concern written in their eyes.

**and what dim light there was seemed to be radiating from Edward's skin. **

"So it was about Edward, that's very interesting," Jasper interrupted now, as he looked at my paling face, which Edward saw through his mind and the next thing I knew he was staring at me with frantic eyes before giving the same look to Carlisle. who nodded and kept an eye on me as well.

**I couldn't see his face, just his back as he walked away from me, leaving me in the blackness. No matter how fast I ran, I couldn't catch up to him; no matter how loud I called, he never turned.**

Edward winced as I held his hand tighter.

**Troubled, I woke in the middle of the night and couldn't sleep again for what seemed like a very long time. After that, he was in my dreams nearly every night, but always on the periphery, never within reach.**

So she dreams about you every night." Esme and Tanya (surprisingly) said smiling and Edward couldn't hide the fact that he was secretly happy about my admission. Unfortunately Esme and Tanya also noticed how pale I was becoming.

**The month that followed the accident was uneasy, tense, and, at first, embarrassing.**

**To my dismay, I found myself the centre of attention for the rest of that week. Tyler Crowley was impossible, following me around, obsessed with making amends to me somehow. I tried to convince him what I wanted more than anything else was for him to forget all about it — especially since nothing had actually happened to me — but he remained insistent.**

Shouldn't have done that, urgh." I mumbled weakly from Edward's neck, as he hushed me rocking me gently as he kissing down my cheek trying to distract me from the mad memories.

**He followed me between classes and sat at our now-crowded lunch table. Mike and Eric were even less friendly toward him than they were to each other, which made me worry that I'd gained another unwelcome fan. **

I flinched visibly as Rose looked at me as she questioned Edward in her thoughts _"What happened to her, Ed?"_ He smiled a sad smile and looked at the book, she sighed as Eleazar carried on.

**No one seemed concerned about Edward, though I explained over and over that he was the hero — how he had pulled me out of the way and had nearly been crushed, too. I tried to be convincing. Jessica, Mike, Eric, and everyone else always commented that they hadn't even seen him there till the van was pulled away.**

"You actually kept your word about not saying anything" Laurent said in awe.

"Well, it does look like she likes you just a bit." I said weakly starting to become too dizzy to even lift my head. It didn't take Edward long to notice my eyes were rolling back because of the dizziness. Laurent gasped instantly gaining Irina's attention as she also saw what was happening to me and took his hand to comfort him.

**I wondered to myself why no one else had seen him standing so far away, before he was suddenly, impossibly saving my life. **

**With chagrin, I realized the probable cause — no one else was as aware of Edward as I always was. No one else watched him the way I did. How pitiful.**

**Edward was never surrounded by crowds of curious bystanders eager for his first-hand account. People avoided him as usual. The Cullen's and the Hales sat at the same table as always, not eating, talking only among themselves. None of them, especially Edward, glanced my way anymore.**

**When he sat next to me in class, as far from me as the table would allow, he seemed totally unaware of my presence. **

**Only now and then, when his fists would suddenly ball up — skin stretched even whiter over the bones — did I wonder if he wasn't quite as oblivious as he appeared.**

**He wished he hadn't pulled me from the path of Tyler's van — there was no other conclusion I could come to.**

"Oh, Bella, I am so sorry if I gave you that impression." I smiled feeling extremely weak now.

"I understand now, Edward." He kissed my forehead, and was extremely concerned for my health.

**I wanted very much to talk to him, and the day after the accident I tried. The last time I'd seen him, outside the ER, we'd both been so furious. I still was angry that he wouldn't trust me with the truth, even though I was keeping my part of the bargain flawlessly. But he had in fact saved my life, no matter how he'd done it. And, overnight, the heat of my anger faded into awed gratitude. **

"Thank you" Edward said exasperated, as I stroked his jaw weakly once more.

**He was already seated when I got to Biology, looking straight ahead. I sat down, expecting him to turn toward me. He showed no sign that he realized I was there.**

**"Hello, Edward," I said pleasantly, to show him I was going to behave myself.**

**He turned his head a fraction toward me without meeting my gaze, nodded once, and then looked the other way.**

**And that was the last contact I'd had with him, though he was there, a foot away from me, every day. I watched him sometimes, unable to stop myself— from a distance, though, in the cafeteria or parking lot. I watched as his golden eyes grew perceptibly darker day by day.**

"Damn, you noticed our eyes that good!" Emmett said jokingly, as I laughed weakly making his frown. I could tell he was concerned at what I was feeling right now. For Emmett to notice Carlisle was on full alert now.

**But in class I gave no more notice that he existed than he showed toward me. I was miserable. And the dreams continued.**

**Despite my outright lies, the tenor of my e-mails alerted Renée to my depression,**

"It's very easy to see through your children," Esme said and they all smiled at me now, even with their postures tensed at how pale I was turning. Unable to look at them I buried my head further into Edward's chest. My parents were worried at what could possibly have happened to cause me to react this way 6 months later.

**and she called a few times, worried. I tried to convince her it was just the weather that had me down.**

**Mike, at least, was pleased by the obvious coolness between me and my lab partner. I could see he'd been worried that Edward's daring rescue might have impressed me, and he was relieved that it seemed to have the opposite effect. He grew more confident, sitting on the edge of my table to talk before Biology class started, ignoring Edward as completely as he ignored us.**

I was crying even more now as the events of that day played on my mind flinching at the thought of hearing it all over again. Edward just held me, rocking back and forth. Even though many of our guests were concerned, they awed at the young love, Jacob on the other hand was thinking on that my Edward or _leech _as he liked to throw back at me on a regular basis had done something to make me react this way. Edward glared hatefully at him not giving him the satisfaction of replying to him.

**The snow washed away for good after that one dangerously icy day. Mike was disappointed he'd never gotten to stage his snowball fight, but pleased that the beach trip would soon be possible. The rain continued heavily, though, and the weeks passed.**

**Jessica made me aware of another event looming on the horizon — she called the first Tuesday of March to ask my permission to invite Mike to the girls' choice spring dance in two weeks.**

Emmett started laughing uncontrollably and then Edward joined in reading his thoughts.

"Imagine the dancing, Bells, good dancing with Edward then." Emmett boomed and they all joined in at the mental picture, while Esme and Carlisle shook their heads grinning, I flinched and grimaced.

**"Are you sure you don't mind… you weren't planning to ask him?" she persisted when I told her I didn't mind in the least.**

**"No, Jess, I'm not going," I assured her. Dancing was glaringly outside my range of abilities.**

"I knew I was right." Emmett said calmly now. I glared at him weakly as I tried to say "You and Rose will hate what happens next that only Edward knows." They were both worried now.

**"It will be really fun." Her attempt to convince me was half-hearted. I suspected that Jessica enjoyed my inexplicable popularity more than my actual company.**

"Urgh!" I said.

**"You have fun with Mike," I encouraged.**

**The next day, I was surprised that Jessica wasn't her usual gushing self in Trig and Spanish. She was silent as she walked by my side between classes, and I was afraid to ask her why. If Mike had turned her down, I was the last person she would want to tell.**

**My fears were strengthened during lunch when Jessica sat as far from Mike as possible, chatting animatedly with Eric. Mike was unusually quiet.**

**Mike was still quiet as he walked me to class, the uncomfortable look on his face a bad sign. But he didn't broach the subject until I was in my seat and he was perched on my desk. As always, I was electrically aware of Edward sitting close enough to touch, as distant as if he were merely an invention of my imagination.**

Bella smiled remembering the electric current, as she felt it again in the room. Jasper gasped, as lustful feelings came forward, along with hate and sadness.

**"So," Mike said, looking at the floor, "Jessica asked me to the spring dance."**

**"That's great." I made my voice bright and enthusiastic. "You'll have a lot of fun with Jessica."**

"Denied," the wolves all said while Leah looked at Sue worried for my health now.

**"Well…" He floundered as he examined my smile, clearly not happy with my response.**

**"I told her I had to think about it."**

**"Why would you do that?" I let disapproval colour my tone, though I was relieved he hadn't given her an absolute no. His face was bright red as he looked down again. Pity shook my resolve.**

**"I was wondering if… well, if you might be planning to ask me."**

**I paused for a moment, hating the wave of guilt that swept through me. But I saw, from the corner of my eye, Edward's head tilt reflexively in my direction. **

**"Mike, I think you should tell her yes," I said.**

**"Did you already ask someone?" Did Edward notice how Mike's eyes flickered in his direction?**

"Probably did" Edward said laughing.

**"No," I assured him. "I'm not going to the dance at all."**

**"Why not?" Mike demanded.**

**I didn't want to get into the safety hazards that dancing presented, so I quickly made new plans.**

**"I'm going to Seattle that Saturday," I explained.**

"I don't think her truck will make it" Rose said as she grinned at me.

**I needed to get out of town anyway — it was suddenly the perfect time to go.**

"And she really is going" Alice added as she tried to hide the smile.

**"Can't you go some other weekend?"**

**"Sorry, no," I said. "So you shouldn't make Jess wait any longer — it's rude."**

**"Yeah, you're right," he mumbled, and turned, dejected, to walk back to his seat. I closed my eyes and pressed my fingers to my temples, trying to push the guilt and sympathy out of my head. **_**To my shock and surprise he grabbed my shirt and flung off my bra grabbing my breasts painfully at the same time shoving his fingers into my most private area. I screamed, just as Edward appeared out of nowhere throwing him off me and into a locker. Turning his attention back to me he held me, as I cried now.**_

Dad exploded writing down Mike's name and everything he did to me preparing himself to arrest him once we'd completed the books. I cried into his arms now, as Mom rubbed my back gently. Everyone was in shock at the revelation was read out; Edward pulled me back into his arms as I began to sob into his shirt.

**Mr Banner began talking as he came in now. I sighed and opened my eyes.**

**And Edward was staring at me curiously, that same, familiar edge of frustration even more distinct now in his black eyes.**

**I stared back, surprised, expecting him to look quickly away. But instead he continued to gaze with probing intensity into my eyes. There was no question of me looking away.**

**My hands started to shake.**

**"Mr Cullen?" the teacher called, seeking the answer to a question that I hadn't heard.**

**"The Krebs Cycle," Edward answered, seeming reluctant as he turned to look at Mr Banner.**

**I looked down at my book as soon as his eyes released me, trying to find my place.**

"Awe, she got lost in your eyes… kind of like in the parking lot" Esme said sweetly and she bit her lip while Jasper chuckled at our embarrassment.

**Cowardly as ever, I shifted my hair over my right shoulder to hide my face. I couldn't believe the rush of emotion pulsing through me — just because he'd happened to look at me for the first time in half-dozen weeks. I couldn't allow him to have this level of influence over me. It was pathetic. More than pathetic, it was unhealthy.**

"It is" Edward said, as I giggled a bit, and he smiled to see me be back. So did everyone else.

**I tried very hard not to be aware of him for the rest of the hour, and, since that was impossible, at least not to let him know that I was aware of him. **

**When the bell rang at last, I turned my back to him to gather my things, expecting him to leave immediately as usual.**

**"Bella?" His voice shouldn't have been so familiar to me, as if I'd known the sound of it all my life rather than for just a few short weeks.**

"You really did like him" Alice said smiling. I smiled back warmly.

**I turned slowly, unwillingly. I didn't want to feel what I knew I would feel when I looked at his too-perfect face.**

"And your perfect face" Jasper laughed at our feelings of embarrassment and happiness, but I couldn't help but giggle louder now.

**My expression was wary when I finally turned to him; his expression was unreadable. He didn't say anything.**

**"What? Are you speaking to me again?" I finally asked an unintentional note of petulance in my voice.**

"Good girl, use the girl code." Rose cheered.

"What girl code?" I asked.

"Don't let him know you care." Rose and Alice said at the same time.

**His lips twitched, fighting a smile. "No, not really," he admitted.**

**I closed my eyes and inhaled slowly through my nose, aware that I was gritting my teeth. He waited.**

**"Then what do you want, Edward?" I asked, keeping my eyes closed; it was easier to talk to him coherently that way.**

**"I'm sorry." He sounded sincere. "I'm being very rude, I know. But it's better this way, really."**

**I opened my eyes. His face was very serious.**

**"I don't know what you mean," I said, my voice guarded.**

**"It's better if we're not friends," he explained. "Trust me."**

**My eyes narrowed. I'd heard that before.**

**"It's too bad you didn't figure that out earlier," I hissed through my teeth. "You could have saved yourself all this regret."**

**"Regret?" The word, and my tone, obviously caught him off guard. "Regret for what?"**

**"For not just letting that stupid van squish me."**

**He was astonished. He stared at me in disbelief.**

**When he finally spoke, he almost sounded mad. "You think I regret saving your life?"**

**"I know you do," I snapped.**

**"You don't know anything." He was definitely mad.**

**I turned my head sharply away from him, clenching my jaw against all the wild accusations I wanted to hurl at him. I gathered my books together, then stood and walked to the door. I meant to sweep dramatically out of the room, but of course I caught the toe of my boot on the door jamb and dropped my books. I stood there for a moment, thinking about leaving them. Then I sighed and bent to pick them up. He was there; he'd already stacked them into a pile. He handed them to me, his face hard.**

**"Thank you," I said icily.**

**His eyes narrowed.**

**"You're welcome," he retorted.**

**I straightened up swiftly, turned away from him again, and stalked off to Gym without looking back.**

**Gym was brutal. We'd moved on to basketball. My team never passed me the ball, so that was good, but I fell down a lot. Sometimes I took people with me. **

**Today I was worse than usual because my head was so filled with Edward. I tried to concentrate on my feet, but he kept creeping back into my thoughts just when I really needed my balance.**

Emmett and Jasper both laughed at that. I glared at them knowing that they would no doubt by now be flashing black. Something told me that everyone would be shocked at the secret I'd been keeping, I only hoped that it wouldn't push Edward away from me, this was one thing I couldn't handle. He was and always would be my everything.

**It was a relief, as always, to leave. I almost ran to the truck; there were just so many people I wanted to avoid. The truck had suffered only minimal damage in the accident. I'd had to replace the taillights, and if I'd had a real paint job, I would have touched that up. Tyler's parents had to sell their van for parts.**

**I almost had a stroke when I rounded the corner and saw a tall, dark figure leaning against the side of my truck. Then I realized it was just Eric. I started walking again.**

"Yay, we get to see her reaction to getting asked out again" Emmett said smiling. I couldn't stop myself from flinching at his words, burying my head into Edward's chest once again wishing I could make myself invisible.

**"Hey, Eric," I called.**

**"Hi, Bella."**

**"What's up?" I said as I was unlocking the door. I wasn't paying attention to the uncomfortable edge in his voice, so his next words took me by surprise.**

**"Uh, I was just wondering… if you would go to the spring dance with me?" His voice broke on the last word.**

**"I thought it was girls' choice," I said, too startled to be diplomatic. **_**Suddenly he began to do the exact same thing Mike had done earlier, grabbing my new shirt and pulling it off grabbing my breasts painfully shoving his fingers into my private area. I screamed, just as Edward came toward us throwing him off me and into his car, leading me toward his Volvo as I tried to control the shaking which was overtaking my body.**_

Dad exploded again and began writing down Mike's name alongside the crime he had committed and a reminder to arrest him later. I cried into Edward's shoulder as Mom rubbed my back gently. Everyone was in shock once again as Edward then took her back into his arms, and I sobbed against his shirt silently

"Poor Eric to be flung like that but very much deserved. I'd like to see him try come near you any time soon." Emmett and Jasper growled. I couldn't help but smile at my brother's protective nature.

**"Well, yeah" he admitted, shamefaced.**

**I recovered my composure and tried to make my smile warm. "Thank you for asking me, but I'm going to be in Seattle that day."**

**"Oh," he said. "Well, maybe next time."**

**"Sure (Not)," I agreed, and then bit my lip. I wouldn't want him to take that too literally.**

**He slouched off, back toward the school. I heard a low chuckle.**

**Edward was walking past the front of my truck, looking straight forward, his lips pressed together. **

**I yanked the door open and jumped inside, slamming it loudly behind me. I revved the engine deafeningly and reversed out into the aisle. Edward was in his car already, two spaces down, sliding out smoothly in front of me, cutting me off. He stopped there — to wait for his family. I could see the four of them walking this way, but still by the cafeteria. I considered taking out the rear of his shiny Volvo, but there were too many witnesses. **

**I looked in my rear view mirror. A line was beginning to form. Directly behind me, Tyler Crowley was in his recently acquired used Sentara, waving. I was too aggravated to acknowledge him.**

"Yup, it's Tyler." Edward said. I flinched again.

**While I was sitting there, looking everywhere but at the car in front of me, I heard a knock on my passenger side window. I looked over; it was Tyler. I glanced back in my rear view mirror, confused. His car was still running, the door left open. I leaned across the cab to crank the window down. It was stiff. I got it halfway down, then gave up.**

**"I'm sorry, Tyler, I'm stuck behind Cullen." I was annoyed — obviously the holdup wasn't my fault.**

**"Oh, I know — I just wanted to ask you something while we're trapped here." He grinned.**

**This could not be happening.**

"Ha, now I wish I was in the car with you" Emmett laughed.

"Yeah, so do I" Alice smiled liking me a lot.

**"Will you ask me to the spring dance?" he continued.**

**"I'm not going to be in town, Tyler." My voice sounded a little sharp. I had to remember it wasn't his fault that Mike and Eric had already used up my quota of patience for the day.**

**"Yeah, Mike said that," he admitted.**

"Well, you do have to admire how confident he is with her… unlike the others." Jasper said and they all nodded.

**"Then why —"**

**He shrugged. "I was hoping you were just letting him down easy."**

**Okay, it was completely his fault.**

**"Sorry, Tyler," I said, working to hide my irritation. "I really am going out of town."**

**"That's cool. We still have prom."**

_**I shook my head no, as he forcefully kissed me his tongue entering my mouth without my consent, I bit down on his tongue hard, just as quickly as I'd bitten him did he retaliate slapping me across the face, as Edward once again came to my rescue telling him to more or less fuck off and leave me alone I was thankful Edward was here even if I was still annoyed by his attitude.**_

Dad wrote his name down as well, giving me a hug now, as he dried my cheek and whispered "Soon, baby-girl, Justice!" I giggled and hugged my dad hard. He went back to his seat as Mom and Phil smiled at us both.

**And before I could respond, he was walking back to his car. I could feel the shock on my face. I looked forward to see Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper all sliding into the Volvo. In his rear view mirror, Edward's eyes were on me. He was unquestionably shaking with laughter, as if he'd heard every word Tyler had said.**

**My foot itched toward the gas pedal… one little bump wouldn't hurt any of them, just that glossy silver paint job. I revved the engine.**

**But they were all in, and Edward was speeding away. I drove home slowly, carefully, muttering to myself the whole way.**

**When I got home, I decided to make chicken enchiladas for dinner. It was a long process, and it would keep me busy. While I was simmering the onions and chilies, the phone rang. I was almost afraid to answer it, but it might be Charlie or my mom. **

**It was Jessica, and she was jubilant; Mike had caught her after school to accept her invitation. I celebrated with her briefly while I stirred. She had to go, she wanted to call Angela and Lauren to tell them. I suggested — with casual innocence — that maybe Angela, the shy girl who had Biology with me, could ask Eric. And Lauren, a standoffish girl who had always ignored me at the lunch table, could ask Tyler; I'd heard he was still available. **

**Jess thought that was a great idea. Now that she was sure of Mike, she actually sounded sincere when she said she wished I would go to the dance. I gave her my Seattle excuse.**

**After I hung up, I tried to concentrate on dinner — dicing the chicken especially; I didn't want to take another trip to the emergency room. But my head was spinning, trying to analyse every word Edward had spoken today. What did he mean, it was better if we weren't friends?**

**My stomach twisted as I realized what he must have meant. He must see how absorbed I was by him; he must not want to lead me on… so we couldn't even be friends… because he wasn't interested in me at all.**

**Of course he wasn't interested in me, I thought angrily, my eyes stinging — a delayed reaction to the onions. **

**I wasn't interesting. And he was. Interesting… and brilliant… and mysterious… and perfect… and beautiful… and possibly able to lift full-sized vans with one hand.**

I couldn't help but laugh at my past thoughts and Edward smiled at me, happy to see me happy again. Everyone was smiling in the end. Taking Edward's hand I felt the electricity shoot through my body and we both gasped, kissing once again.

**Well, that was fine. I could leave him alone. I would leave him alone. I would get through my self-imposed sentence here in purgatory, and then hopefully some school in the Southwest, or possibly Hawaii, would offer me a scholarship. I focused my thoughts on sunny beaches and palm trees as I finished the enchiladas and put them in the oven.**

**Charlie seemed suspicious when he came home and smelled the green peppers. I couldn't blame him — the closest edible Mexican food was probably in southern California. But he was a cop, even if just a small-town cop, so he was brave enough to take the first bite. He seemed to like it. It was fun to watch as he slowly began trusting me in the kitchen.**

**"Dad?" I asked when he was almost done.**

**"Yeah, Bella?"**

**"Um, I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to Seattle for the day a week from Saturday… if that's okay?" I didn't want to ask permission — it set a bad precedent — but I felt rude, so I tacked it on at the end.**

**"Why?" He sounded surprised, as if he were unable to imagine something that Forks couldn't offer.**

**"Well, I wanted to get few books — the library here is pretty limited — and maybe look at some clothes." I had more money than I **

**was used to having, since, thanks to Charlie, I hadn't had to pay for a car. Not that the truck didn't cost me quite a bit in the gas department.**

**"That truck probably doesn't get very good gas mileage," he said, echoing my thoughts.**

"He can read her mind too" Emmett joked.

"No, it's really obvious, and any parent could read their child" Esme said.

**"I know, I'll stop in Montesano and Olympia — and Tacoma if I have to."**

**"Are you going all by yourself?" he asked, and I couldn't tell if he was suspicious I had a secret boyfriend or just worried about car trouble.**

"Both of them actually!" He said, as I just smiled at him.

**"Yes."**

**"Seattle is a big city — you could get lost," he fretted.**

**"Dad, Phoenix is five times the size of Seattle — and I can read a map, don't worry about it."**

**"Do you want me to come with you?"**

"Hell no!" Rose and Alice yelled, Dad looked in horror then remember and laughed hard.

**I tried to be crafty as I hid my horror.**

**"That's all right, Dad, I'll probably just be in dressing rooms all day — very boring."**

**"Oh, okay." The thought of sitting in women's clothing stores for any period of time immediately put him off.**

"Told you so," Alice said, with Rose's nodding her agreement.

"Tell me about it," Emmett, Jasper, and Edward all muttered.

**"Thanks." I smiled at him.**

**"Will you be back in time for the dance?"**

**Grr.**

"Did she just growl?" Emmett asked chocking with laughter, at the same time I did, the shock on his face was hard to hide especially for someone who joked around as much as Emmett did, everyone else, vampire, wolf and human were also just as shocked my Dad, Mom and Phil laughed louder as they hadn't heard it before.

**Only in a town this small would a father know when the high school dances were.**

"Yup" everyone said at the same time.

**"No — I don't dance, Dad." He, of all people, should understand that — I didn't get my balance problems from my mother.**

**He did understand. "Oh, that's right," he realized.**

**The next morning, when I pulled into the parking lot, I deliberately parked as far as possible from the silver Volvo. I didn't want to put myself in the path of too much temptation and end up owing him a new car. **

**Getting out of the cab, I fumbled with my key and it fell into a puddle at my feet. As I bent to get it, a white hand flashed out and grabbed it before I could. **

**I jerked upright. Edward Cullen was right next to me, leaning casually against my truck.**

**"How do you do that?" I asked in amazed irritation.**

**"Do what?" He held my key out as he spoke. As I reached for it, he dropped it into my palm.**

**"Appear out of thin air."**

**"Bella, it's not my fault if you are exceptionally unobservant." His voice was quiet as usual — velvet, muted.**

**I scowled at his perfect face.**

"Here we go again with his perfect face." Emmett said and I glared at him with danger flashing in them smirking as he backed off.

**His eyes were light again today, a deep, golden honey colour. Then I had to look down, to reassemble my now-tangled thoughts.**

**"Why the traffic jam last night?" I demanded, still looking away. "I thought you were supposed to be pretending I don't exist, not irritating me to death."**

**"That was for Tyler's sake, not mine. I had to give him his chance." He snickered.**

I gasped, but I knew then that he had rescued me, and kissed him passionately He was shocked at first but kissed me back equally as strong.

**"You…" I gasped. I couldn't think of a bad enough word. It felt like the heat of my anger should physically burn him, but he only seemed more amused.**

**"And I'm not pretending you don't exist," he continued.**

**"So you are trying to irritate me to death? Since Tyler's van didn't do the job?"**

**Anger flashed in his tawny eyes. His lips pressed into a hard line, all signs of humour gone.**

**"Bella, you are utterly absurd," he said, his low voice cold.**

**My palms tingled — I wanted so badly to hit something. I was surprised at myself. I was usually a nonviolent person. **

**I turned my back and started to walk away.**

**"Wait," he called. I kept walking, sloshing angrily through the rain. But he was next to me, easily keeping pace.**

**"I'm sorry, that was rude," he said as we walked. I ignored him. "I'm not saying it isn't true," he continued, "but it was rude to say it, anyway."**

**"Why won't you leave me alone?" I grumbled.**

**"I wanted to ask you something, but you side-tracked me," he chuckled. He seemed to have recovered his good humour.**

**"Do you have a multiple personality disorder?" I asked severely.**

**"You're doing it again."**

**I sighed." Fine then. What do you want to ask?"**

**"I was wondering if, a week from Saturday — you know, the day of the spring dance —"**

**"Are you trying to be funny?" I interrupted him, wheeling toward him. My face got drenched as I looked up at his expression.**

**His eyes were wickedly amused. "Will you please allow me to finish?"**

**I bit my lip and clasped my hands together, interlocking my fingers, so I couldn't do anything rash.**

Emmett and Jasper started laughing as I glared with a smirk on my lips.

**"I heard you say you were going to Seattle that day, and I was wondering if you wanted a ride."**

Our parents smiled so widely at us now.

**That was unexpected.**

**"What?" I wasn't sure what he was getting at.**

**"Do you want a ride to Seattle?"**

**"With who?" I asked, mystified.**

**"Myself, obviously." He enunciated every syllable, as if he were talking to someone mentally handicapped.**

"Now that would be funny." Emmett said, as Edward glared at him this time.

**I was still stunned. "Why?"**

**"Well, I was planning to go to Seattle in the next few weeks, and, to be honest, I'm not sure if your truck can make it."**

**"My truck works just fine, thank you very much for your concern." I started to walk again, but I was too surprised to maintain the **

**same level of anger.**

**"But can your truck make it there on one tank of gas?" He matched my pace again.**

**"I don't see how that is any of your business." Stupid, shiny Volvo owner.**

**"The wasting of finite resources is everyone's business."**

**"Honestly, Edward." I felt a thrill go through me as I said his name, and I hated it. "I can't keep up with you. I thought you didn't want **

**to be my friend."**

**"I said it would be better if we weren't friends, not that I didn't want to be."**

**"Oh, thanks, now that's all cleared up. "Heavy sarcasm. **

**I realized I had stopped walking again. We were under the shelter of the cafeteria roof now, so I could more easily look at is face. **

**Which certainly didn't help my clarity of thought.**

**"It would be more…prudent for you not to be my friend," he explained. "But I'm tired of trying to stay away from you, Bella."**

**His eyes were gloriously intense as he uttered that last sentence, his voice smouldering. I couldn't remember how to breathe.**

**"Will you go with me to Seattle?" he asked, still intense.**

**I couldn't speak yet, so I just nodded.**

**He smiled briefly, and then his face became serious.**

**"You really should stay away from me," he warned. "I'll see you in class."**

**He turned abruptly and walked back the way we'd come.**

"That's the end of the chapter" Eleazar said, as my Dad went to the station for a short break, as Mom and Phil along with Carlisle and Esme talked with me and Edward about having sex and pregnancy; to say we were embarrassed is an understatement, of course Emmett saw my red face, and Edward's downcast look of shame, just as Jasper sent us calming influences my Dad arrived back at the Cullens house an hour later with news.

"I've filled out an incident form now all we have to do is wait."

I hugged him, as Dad asked if he could read next as Eleazar handed him the book.

"Blood Type!" my mom, dad, and Phil burst out laughing . I blushed and Edward kissed me, knowing exactly what happened next. I often wondered if he'd told the rest of his family what had happened that day. I guess we would find out when it was his turn to be embarrassed.


End file.
